To Walk Again
by Sovereign64
Summary: Takao Akizuki is a second-year student who is struggling to cope with his studies and personal life after his parents' divorce. That is until his class received the newest teacher of his school, Yukari Yukino.
1. The New Teacher Part 1

**Sovereign: This is my way of kicking off the New Year and celebrating Makoto Shinkai's recent announcement of his next film which I absolutely cannot wait. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Garden of Words, Makoto Shinkai does.**

 **Also, special thanks to** _ **Phi**_ **for drawing this story's cover artwork for me! Check out her Instagram at** _ **www dot Instagram dot com/heyphifi/**_ **and her tumblr at** _ **phi-fi dot tumblr dot com**_

* * *

 _ **To Walk Again**_

 _ **The New Teacher Part 1**_

Takao Akizuki was rudely woken up from his sleep shortly after his phone rang. He moans as he turns to the side and places his hand down on his phone. After turning off the alarm, Takao adjusts himself back to his original position and looks back at the ceiling. He lets out a sigh, knowing that today is the first day of a new school year in Japan. But after everything that had happened to him last year, he is honestly not looking forward to it.

After removing the sheets from his body as he sits up from his futon, Takao lowers his head and murmured, "Everything is going to be fine."

* * *

It took less than fifteen minutes for Takao to brush his teeth and change into his uniform. He steps out of the bathroom and quietly walks into the dining room. He finds his mother, sitting at the table and watching the news on a small flat-screen television mounted on the wall while drinking a can of beer.

"Good morning mom." Takao greeted her. His mother responded with a moan as she takes a sip of her beer.

Takao quietly walks past her and heads over to the fridge to grab some fresh vegetables and a jar of honey mustard. After closing the fridge, he walks over to the kitchen counter and places the vegetables and honey mustard jar down before grabbing the loaf of bread placed at the side. He begins preparing the sandwich which he will be eating for lunch later. He applies the mustard on a loaf of bread before putting the butter knife aside and grabs a larger knife to cut the vegetables. After carefully cutting the tomatoes and lettuce leaves into neat and thin slices, he places them on the bread and finishes it by putting the other loaf on top of them.

"Takao, please don't get yourself into trouble in school again." His mother said dully with her eyes fixated on the television.

"I won't." Takao replied as he grabs his empty lunchbox and opens the lid.

"Can you promise me that?!" His mother suddenly raised her voice as she turns to her son.

Takao flinched for a moment before replying, "Yes mother."

As he carefully places his sandwich into his lunch box, another person enters the dining room as he adjusts his tie. Unlike Takao, his hair is neat and he wears glasses and a business suit. When the man sees Takao standing at the counter, he greeted his younger brother, "Good morning Takao."

"Good morning Shouta." Takao replied to his adult brother who is eleven years older than him.

Shouta turns to his mother and his smile instantly vanished. "Good morning mom." He said. His mother snorts as she turns back to the television and takes another sip of her beer. Shouta sighs as he turns to the fridge and opens it. He frowns as he sees the entire lower shelf is hogged with cans of beer. "Seriously mom? Drinking beer again in the morning?"

His mother slams her can on the dining table and scoffed, "Why do you care? Don't you have your girlfriend to attend to?"

"Please don't bring Rika up right now." Shouta said flatly, closing the fridge after grabbing the bottle of milk.

Knowing that another argument between his mother and older brother is about to erupt, Takao quickly closes his lunch box and hurriedly walks out of the dining room without making any eye contact with his relatives.

"Tch. You really are just like your father." His mother said scornfully. "Abandoning me because he only thinks about himself and his job, and now you are planning to do the same thing by eventually marrying her and leaving me and your brother behind. Repulsive."

"Excuse you!" Shouta flared up as he stomps his foot. "At least when I have problems, I don't go drinking and lying around, hoping for a miracle to come!"

"Shut up!" His mother snapped at her older son as she got up from her chair. "Who's going to take care of me and Takao when you are no longer around?!"

"Then go get a job!" Shouta shouted as he slams the bottle of milk on the dining table. "I want to be with Rika for the rest of my life and that's final!"

"Why? Because you care more about her than your own mother? If that's the case, I rather not have one so you won't have to move out!"

"How much more selfish can you be?!"

"Who's more selfish?!"

While Shouta and their mother continue their argument, Takao steps out of his room after grabbing his schoolbag and quickly makes his way to the door. After stepping out of the house, Takao took one last glance of his mother and older brother shouting at each other before closing the door shut. He sighed inwardly before turning and walking his way down the corridor.

' _What a way to start the year.'_

* * *

Takao quietly walks through the streets of Shinjuku, dwelling over what had happened.

It has been nearly two years since his parents divorced. He was in his final year of junior high when they made the decision to break up. As his father spent more time with his work than his family, their marriage gradually collapsed. Things certainly didn't get any better after the divorce. The financial debts soon piled up for the Akizuki family and as a single parent, his mother struggled to work twice as hard as an administrative worker in a local university to support her sons and make ends meet. The pressure of working to support her family and being constantly reminded of her failed relationship with her ex-husband gradually deteriorate his mother's mental health, and she soon found herself drowning in alcohol in an attempt to wipe away her sorrows and depression.

Her alcoholism only damaged her mentality further, to the point that she would now constantly get into arguments with Shouta and she was eventually fired from her job due to her frequent disruptive behavior. She is now unemployed and still drowning herself in alcohol every day at home, which means his older brother is now the only person left to support the family. But recently, Shouta announced that he has gotten into a romantic relationship with his co-worker, Rika Teramoto. The announcement displeases his mother as she believes that they may eventually marry and move out of the apartment, leaving her and Takao behind.

While Takao respects his brother's romantic relationship with Rika, he knows that Shouta also wish to marry the love of his life and become fully independent so that he can move out of their apartment and no longer have to deal with their problematic mother. But what will happen to him when he does? Right now, Takao is only 15 years old and currently studying his second year of high school. If Shouta moves out, he will become the only person left in the apartment who still lives with his mother. But with his mother being a heavy alcoholic and not having the desire to look for another job, how can Takao possibly take care of her and tolerate her violent behavior all by himself?

The constant arguments between Shouta and his mother, and the dwelling of his family's uncertain future, have greatly affected Takao's personal life. He couldn't concentrate on his studies throughout most of the first year of high school, and this was greatly reflected upon when he failed his final exams. Now, he is heading to school to begin his second year, and after everything that had happened to him last year, he dreads what the future will hold for him. Will he end up failing his exams again? Will the tensions within his family get even worse? And what will happen to him after his brother leaves? How can he think of taking care of himself and his mother if he couldn't graduate from high school with flying colors?

Takao sighed heavily. He kept wishing every morning that things will get better for him and his family, but they don't. And sadly, after what just happened back home, it seems things won't get much easier as the days go by. The only thing he could do is live through it no matter how emotionally painful it is for him.

Before he knew it, he arrived at the gates of Shinjuku High School. Takao gaze at the school building for a few moments before letting out another heavy sigh and walk through the open gates.

"Hey Takao!"

Takao yelps as he suddenly felt an arm wrapped around his back. He turns his head and sees a boy with dark tan hair who is a few inches taller than him flashing a mischievous grin at him.

"Hey Matsumoto." Takao greeted flatly.

"Nice to see you again, Akizuki-kun."

The two boys turn to their left to see a girl with long chocolate brown hair walking over to Takao's side.

"Good morning, Satou." Takao responded to the girl.

"So, how was your winter break?" Matsumoto asked as Takao gently removes his arm from his back.

"It was alright. I mostly stayed at home with my family." Takao mumbled.

"Are things okay with you and your family during the winter?" Satou asked with her hands placed behind her back.

"Sort of." Takao replied. He paused for a moment before asking his friends, "What about you guys?"

"My family and I travelled to Bali for the holidays." Matsumoto replied as the three friends begin walking over to the main school building.

"And my family and I went to Gold Coast, Australia!" Satou said, smiling cheerfully.

Takao chuckled and said to his friends, "No wonder you two look like you got a tan." Satou giggled in response.

"Anyways, I'm just glad we are all back together and studying in the same class again this year!" Satou said enthusiastically.

"Joy." Takao said sarcastically.

"I can't wait to see our teachers again too. It's nice to know we are getting the same ones as last year." Satou said.

"But I heard we are getting a new literature teacher this year." Matsumoto said.

"Really?" Satou momentarily widens her eyes before lowering her head in disappointment. "That's a shame. I did like Endo-sensei's lessons. But I hope our newest literature teacher will be just as enjoyable as him."

"Oh literature." Takao rolls his eyes. "Never was my favorite subject."

"I wonder how our new teacher looks like." Matsumoto said.

While Takao and his friends enter the main building of their school, a young woman walks past the metal gates. The woman has dark brown chin-length hair, carries a purplish-gray leather bag over her left shoulder and dressed in a light pink long-sleeved jacket with a white shirt underneath, a light yellow ribbon tied loosely around its collar, dark grey pants and black high heel shoes. Shortly after entering the premises of the school, the woman came to a halt and looks up at the main building of Shinjuku High School. A smile takes form on her face as she gazes at the building that immediately brought her many nostalgic memories.

"I'm back."

* * *

Takao and his friends walk through the school hallways as they make their way to their classroom. While they are walking, the three friends continue discussing how their new literature teacher would look like.

"Maybe she's a woman with long elegant black hair and a fine body." Matsumoto smirked as he rubs his chin.

Takao rolls his eyes as Satou said, "Or maybe he's a middle-aged man with glasses and a huge body size."

"Or maybe a man with short hair and a moustache." Takao suggested.

"Like you if you are older?" Matsumoto teased. Takao grumbles under his breath while Satou laughed at her friend's joke.

"Nice to see you three looking enthusiastic on your first day of school."

The three friends stop and look up to see a woman dressed in a pink suit, pink skirt and black high heel shoes standing in front of them with her arms folded. She also has brown hair that is tied to a long ponytail.

"Good morning Murasaki-sensei." The three greeted as they bow to her.

"Good morning to all of you. This is your second year of high school and I hope you three have reflected upon your experiences from last year to motivate yourselves to work harder and behave as proper and modest people before entering society." Hitomi Murasaki said sternly to the three students before narrowing her eyes at Takao. "Especially you, Takao Akizuki."

"I understand, Murasaki-sensei." Takao replied solemnly.

"Now then, get to your classroom." Hitomi walks past the three students, making her way to the staffroom.

Takao sighs as he and his friends continue walking down the hallway. "I can't believe she hasn't forgotten about it." He said.

"After what you did last year, you do deserve her scorn." Matsumoto chided him. "You should have thought twice before getting yourself into trouble with the third years."

Takao frowns and lowers his head dejectedly. But only a few seconds later, Matsumoto and Satou place their hands onto his shoulders with smiles on their faces, causing Takao to look back at them.

"Come on Takao, cheer up! This is the first day of a new school year. We should just forget about the past and look forward to the future." Satou said cheerfully.

"That's right. And next time, whenever you have a problem, you can always turn to us." Matsumoto said confidently.

Takao gave a wan smile to Matsumoto and Satou. "Thanks guys, you two really are my friends."

* * *

The staffroom is packed with several teachers either working at their stations or packing their files and books, getting ready to head to their respective classrooms and begin their first day of lessons. One particular teacher however is slumbering at her workstation with her arms and head placed on her desk. For a while, everything was calm and peaceful for the teacher as she slept soundly at her desk with a wide dozy smile on her face. Up until Hitomi walks up to her side and leans forward before yelling directly into her left ear.

"FUJIMURA-SAN!"

Taiga Fujimura squeals in shock as she jolts up from her desk and pivots on her chair as she turns to Hitomi.

"Yes, Murasaki-san!" Taiga cried as she gave a salute to the school's dean.

"Seriously?! Sleeping on your first day of work?" Hitomi rebuked with her hands placed at the sides of her hip. "Don't you have any dignity in your profession as a teacher?"

Taiga pouts sheepishly as she ruffles her short light brown hair. "Gomenasai, Murasaki-san."

Hitomi sighs heavily and shakes her head in disdain. "You are working in this school for nearly five years now, Fujimura-san. Stop fooling around and take things seriously." She chided.

Taiga moans as Hitomi walks past her. And only a few seconds later, Taiga's moment of peace was interrupted again when she felt someone giving a gentle tap on her head with a literature textbook.

"Taiga-chan!" The woman in the pink jacket greeted cheerfully.

As the woman removes her book from her head, Taiga looks up at her and a huge smile takes form on her face.

"Yukari-chan!" Taiga said.

Yukari Yukino chuckled and asked, "Didn't sleep well again?"

"My favorite movie was on TV last night, so how can I not resist watching it all the way until the end?" Taiga said before holding a hand in front of her mouth and letting out a heavy yawn.

Yukari shakes her head in amusement. "Well I sure hope you won't stay tired throughout the rest of the day, even during our planned dinner after work." She said to her friend.

"Of course I won't!" Taiga perked up. "I'm never too tired to eat at the greatest ramen shop in all of Tokyo! But anyways, are you ready to give your first literature lesson in a long time?"

"It's been a while, but I still know the ropes of giving a good lecture." Yukari said, smiling confidently.

"You dang well better." Taiga said to her with a lopsided smirk. She stood up from her chair and brushes her long dark green dress before grabbing her leather bag from the floor and glancing at her wristwatch. "Now then, look at the time. I had to get to my own class now. See ya later, Yukari-chan!"

"See you." Yukari said as she holds up her hand.

Taiga places the strap of her leather bag over her left shoulder and walks past her friend. But after only taking a few steps, she turns back to Yukari. "Oh and Yukari-chan…" Her eyes softened as a warm smile plasters across her face. "It's really good to have you back."

"It sure is." Yukari smiled back at her friend. Taiga waves her hand at her before she walks over to the door and leaves the staffroom.

Yukari makes her way to the far corner of the staffroom where her workstation is. She places her leather bag down on the floor and elicits a sigh as she sat down on her chair. She took a moment to look around the staffroom and her lips curved into a blissful smile. Even after she first left Shinjuku High three years ago, the staffroom looks almost exactly the same as she remembered.

Yukari never imagined that she would return to this school again, as well as going back to what she has always fall in love with throughout her life, being a teacher. She will never forget the tragic incident that made her quit teaching at Shinjuku High three years ago. But that is in the past now. Since then, she has been able to regain her strength and self-confidence during the time she left thanks to the help of her friends at her last job. Yukari has become what she is now thanks to them. And after everything they have done for her, she is not planning to disappoint them now.

Yukari went through her leather bag and brought out a small wooden picture frame. She places the frame down at the corner of her desk and gazes at it. It is a group picture of Yukari and her friends at her previous job. Everyone was smiling and standing close to each other as they all stood at the bow of their large metallic gray yacht. Yukari was standing in the middle of it all while her previous boss and second-in-command stood at her sides with their hands place on her shoulders. Two other men stood at the left while two other women are standing at the other side. The picture is the last snapshot she and her friends took together before leaving her previous job. It will forever serve as a powerful reminder of how she was part of a family who helped lift up her spirits and self-confidence again.

As Yukari continue gazing at the picture with a warm smile, her eyes softened as she said to the occupants of the picture who stood alongside her, "Good morning. I hope all of you are doing well."

* * *

Takao and his classmates stood up shortly after the school bell rang. They solemnly bow to their teacher and said in unison, "Arigatou, Nanami-sensei."

"Arigatou, minna-san. Get ready for your next lesson." Mr. Nanami said to everyone present in the classroom. Takao and the students sit back down behind their desks while Mr. Nanami makes his way out of the classroom. Takao gave a yawn before putting his social studies textbook under his desk.

"Starting to give up already? We haven't even had recess yet." Matsumoto said to Takao as he sat beside him.

"Maybe I wouldn't feel so tired if things weren't so uninteresting." Takao said flatly as he places his arms on his desk.

"As if you ever find anything in school interesting." Matsumoto smirked at his friend. Takao groans in response. "Well, unfortunately you have to tolerate a little longer, especially since our next lesson is literature."

"Oh great." Takao said sarcastically, holding up his left arm and placing the side of his head onto his hand. But just before he could stare into space, the classroom door slides open. Takao briefly sees Yukari standing at the doorway before he and every student stood up. Yukari walks into the classroom and turns to her students, smiling at them as she walks over to her desk. After placing down her leather bag, she turns around and grabs a chalk. After writing her name on the chalkboard, she puts down the chalk and turns back to her students.

"My name is Yukari Yukino and I will be your literature teacher throughout the year. It's nice to meet all of you." Yukari greeted.

"Good morning, Yukino-sensei." Takao and the students replied in unison as they bow solemnly to her.

"Good morning everyone. Take your seats." Yukari said. As everyone sat back down, Yukari leans forward and places her hands on her desk. She takes a moment to look at everyone in her classroom before giving an introduction. "Some of you may be wondering, why do we study literature? I mean, you must be thinking that as a literature teacher, all I ever do is tell a story or a poem and you just have to memorize what I've said and write down the lines on your notebooks, right? Well, not entirely true. Whether you are reading a book or watching a movie and a television drama, it is fun to read and watch a story. But there can never be a story without its characters and most of all, its message. For example, why does Superman want to protect humanity? What motivates him to find a new place where he can be accepted by society? What is the moral of the story that you have playing inside your head as you read and watch him struggle to achieve what he desire? Ever thought of that?"

Yukari noticed some of her students nodding their heads in response. "By imagining yourself in the shoes of that character, and seeing what they do to overcome that situation, as well as empathizing the emotions they have while they struggle and endure through it, is what helps us learn to become better thinkers in society. It helps us widen the breadth of our views and visions, understand more of yourself and the people around us, and even find dreams and solutions that we have never imagine before." She said. Matsumoto raises up his hand and Yukari nods her head to him. "Yes?"

"How so, Yukino-sensei?" Matsumoto asked curiously as he lowers his hand.

"Well, do you know that you are already someone special just by your name alone?" Yukari asked him and every student. "Let me give you an example." She turns her head slightly and sees the student sitting beside Matsumoto. "You there."

"Y-yes." Takao said, looking back at Yukari.

"What is your full name?"

"Takao Akizuki."

"May I know how it is written?" Yukari asked. She attentively watches Takao moves his finger around in the air as he writes down his name. Yukari nods her head and explained, "Ah yes. The kanji for Akizuki literally means 'autumn moon'. Has the autumn season ever affiliated with you, Akizuki-san?"

"Well, my birthday happens to be in November." Takao replied.

"See? You do have a reason why your surname is Akizuki." Yukari smiled at him. The other students chuckle as well. "As for your first name, the first kanji, 'taka', means 'filial piety'. And the second kanji, 'o', means 'hero'. I assume somewhere and sometime during your life, you made a vow to always care and respect your parents and relatives who are older than you. And by doing so, you are already viewed as a hero in their eyes, by always doing the right thing and making the right decisions in life."

"Well, I guess you could say that." Takao said, turning his head away for a moment to contemplate the ongoing situation with his mother and older brother.

"That's good to know." Yukari said with a wan smile. She turns back to the rest of the class. "See? Even within your own name, literature exists around us. And that is why literature is important to us. It's more than just listening to or reading a story. It is also about finding our value and virtues, and expanding our imagination. And that is a way of life. Don't you agree?" Takao and every student nod their heads in response.

A wide smile appears on her face as Yukari stands up straight and claps her hands together. "Good! Now then, class. Please take out your textbooks."

As everyone pull out their literature textbooks from their bags, a wan smile appears on Takao's face as he thought about what Yukari had said. _'I'm some sort of hero, huh?'_

* * *

The school bell rang again an hour later, signaling the beginning of recess. Every student in school leave their classrooms to spend the next thirty minutes having their lunch and simply relieving themselves from their studies.

Takao, Matsumoto and Satou head to the school rooftop to spend their time away. Satou sat on a bench in front of the tall metal fences that are built on top of the parapet that line along the edges of the roof. She watches Takao and Matsumoto play as they throw a tennis ball at each other.

"So my last name literally means the base of a pine tree." Matsumoto said to his friends as he throws the ball back at Takao who easily catches it with a hand.

"I guess you were fated to have that last name because you are as strong as the roots of a pine tree." Takao flashes a smirk at him. "But perhaps not as strong as the trunk!"

Takao suddenly lifts his leg up, swings his arm back and throws the ball forward like a baseball pitcher. To his surprise however, Matsumoto swiftly moves to the side and swings his left arm, slapping the ball hard with his hand and sending it flying back to Takao at incredible speed. Takao yelps as he quickly moves to the side. He watches the ball flew past him and bounces over to the other end of the rooftop.

"If you think you can outsmart me with skills like yours, you are sorely mistaken." Matsumoto said with a smirk.

"Excuse me for not having a sport as my curriculum activity." Takao murmured before turning around to collect the ball.

Satou chuckled as Matsumoto walks over to her. "Anyways, even though it's only the first day of school, I reckon we should start preparing which subjects we want to focus on passing for our midterm exams." She said.

"I've already decided I want to pass Japanese, social studies, science and history." Matsumoto said as he sat next to Satou and places his lunch box on his lap.

"For me, I'll definitely want to pass Japanese and mathematics. And maybe literature and social studies." Satou said to Matsumoto. She turns to Takao as he walks over to them after picking up the ball. "What about you, Akizuki-kun?"

"My Japanese and fine arts are okay, so I'll definitely focus on those." Takao said, tossing the tennis ball over to Matsumoto, who catches it.

"Any other subjects?" Matsumoto asked.

"Science, I'm terrible at it. History and social studies, I can't handle them. And mathematics, forget about it." Takao grumbled with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Akizuki-kun, you know you need to pass at least four subjects for the midterms and final to guarantee that you'll pass the first term with flying colors." Satou said, frowning in concern.

"If you are struggling with your studies so much, get yourself a private tutor." Matsumoto suggested as Takao grabs his lunch box from the bench and sits beside Satou.

Takao lowers his head and stares at his lunch box. "I would…but due to my family's current state, how can I afford one?"

Matsumoto and Satou stare wordlessly at Takao as he opens his lunch box and takes out his sandwich. They cannot deny that their friend is right. With his family still trying to recover from their financial debts and the decline of his mother's mental health, how can they possibly hire someone to teach him right now? They are both aware of the troubled state happening within the Akizuki family, and every now and then, they wish they could find some way to help Takao out through such a difficult time. But sadly, all they can really do is to comfort him whenever they are together.

Suddenly, Satou gasped and widens her eyes when an idea hatched inside her head. "I know! How about asking one of our teachers to help you out?"

Upon hearing this, Takao's eyes nearly bulge out from their sockets as he barely manages to swallow his food. He turns to his friends and responded incredulously, "Huh?!"

"Why not? If Takao and his family couldn't afford a private tutor right now, that does sound like a good idea to me." Matsumoto said.

"H-hey! Don't you think it's far-fetched to believe that you can request a school teacher to be your own private tutor?" Takao asked his friends dumbfounded.

"What other choice do you have?" Matsumoto asked.

"Just tell them about your family's current state and they will ponder whether to have you under their wing. If one of them rejects your request, you can always ask others. Of course, you have to ask a teacher who teaches us a subject that you're weak at, which are plenty for you." Satou said to Takao.

Takao grumbles under his breath as he lowers his head again. His friends always think of the craziest ideas for him. But he couldn't help but agree with their suggestion. His family is still in financial debt and with his mother's disruptive behavior; nobody would think to come into his home to teach him privately. So if requesting one of their teachers from their school to be his tutor is his last resort, he has no other choice but to take it.

"I guess I'll try then." Takao replied as he looks back at them.

"Good." Satou smiled at him.

"So, who do you think of asking first?" Matsumoto asked Takao.

* * *

Yukari continued working normally at school until the final bell rang. The students leave the premises of the school while Yukari and the teachers return back to the staffroom to finish whatever work they have left before packing their things and get ready to leave as well. After she finished doing the last of her paperwork, Yukari puts her pen back into her holder and closes her file.

"See you tomorrow, Yukino-san!" A teacher waves goodbye to Yukari as she gets up from her workstation which is in front of hers.

"See you!" Yukari smiled and waves back at her before the teacher turns and makes her departure. Yukari continue to smile blissfully as she looks around the staffroom one more time. It is the end of her first day at work, and she couldn't be any happier that the entire day had gone smoothly for her.

She can remember how her last day of work at this very same school went three years ago. It was painful and somber for her, and she didn't have the strength to endure the emotional pain she went through back then. She had broken off so many connections she had made with her former students and co-workers back then, which also gave her a heavy sense of guilt. It is a traumatic experience that Yukari will never forget.

Thankfully, returning back to Shinjuku High and introducing herself to her new class has truly made her happy again, as if the emotional suffering she had went through before is now gone within a blink of an eye. The only thing Yukari can do now is to remain positive and keep moving forward.

After she finished contemplating, Yukari realized that Taiga is still waiting for her outside the school building so that they can go out and have dinner together. She chuckled and inwardly reprimands herself for keeping her friend waiting. She gets up from her chair, places her leather bag onto her desk and puts her books and files inside it. When she is done packing, Yukari slings its strap over her shoulder and walks her way out of the staffroom.

When Yukari reaches the door, she slides it open…and widens her eyes as she sees Takao, Matsumoto and Satou standing right in front of her.

"Yukino-sensei!" Takao exclaimed, surprised to see his literature teacher opening the door in front of him right when he was about to enter and make a request to her.

"Akizuki?" Yukari said, bewildered to see her student standing before her. She turns to the other two standing at his sides. "Matsumoto? Satou? What are you three doing here?"

Takao stays silent as he looks away from his teacher and stares down at the floor. His cheeks blushed as he couldn't help but feel shy about making a formal request to an older woman whom he had just met today.

"Come on." Matsumoto grins as he nudges Takao on the back of his left shoulder. "Don't tell me you're going to chicken out now after coming all the way here."

Takao growls in annoyance as he glares at Matsumoto while Satou giggles as she idly watched.

When the three students look back at Yukari, Takao takes a deep breath and finally musters enough courage to talk to their teacher. _'It's now or never.'_

"Y-Yukino-sensei? Would it be alright…" He looks down again and paused for a moment, making Yukari stare at him questioningly. Furrowing his brows, Takao looks back up at Yukari again and continued, "If I could discuss something with you?"

After Yukari continues staring blankly at Takao for a moment, a large smile takes form on her face as she nods her head and replied, "Sure! Perhaps you can discuss whatever it is you want with me over dinner."

Takao drops his jaw, startled by his teacher's response. "Dinner?!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: That is the end of the first chapter, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys reading it and I hope you can leave a review to tell me what you think. Stay tune for the next chapter!**

 **Taiga Fujimura is actually a character from** _ **Fate/Stay Night**_ **. Hitomi Murasaki is an OC of mine.**


	2. The New Teacher Part 2

_**The New Teacher Part 2**_

Taiga hums merrily to herself as she stood outside the main building of Shinjuku High, eagerly waiting for Yukari to leave the staffroom and meet up with her. When she turns her head, her smile widens as she sees Yukari finally stepping out of the building with Takao.

"Yukari-chaaannn!" Taiga happily calls out as she turns and waves her hand at her friend.

"Taiga-chan!" Yukari responded as she hastily walks over to her. The two teachers squeal as they hold each other's hands.

"Are you ready to go?" Taiga asked, now filling herself up with excitement.

"Of course. But first, I would like you to meet someone whom I've invited to come along with us. He is a student from my class." Yukari said to Taiga. The two teachers turn as Takao approaches them. "Taiga, this is Takao Akizuki. Akizuki, this is Taiga Fujimura."

"Konichiwa, Fujimura-sensei." Takao greeted as he solemnly bows his head to Taiga. When he looks up at her however, he flinched as Taiga leans over to him with her arms folded and staring back at him suspiciously. But a moment later, she exposed it all as a joke as she throws her head back and burst out laughing.

"I'm just messing with ya. Nice to meet you, Akizuki!" Taiga said with a wide smile as she extends out her hand. Yukari giggled while Takao sighs in relief.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too." Takao replied as he shakes her hand. Taiga places herself between Takao and Yukari and wraps her arms around them.

"Come on everyone! Let's go!" Taiga said enthusiastically and the three begin leaving the premises of the school.

* * *

Takao is astonished to find himself standing at the entrance of a large ramen shop along with Yukari and Taiga. Displayed above the entrance is a huge signboard that illuminates the busy streets of Shinjuku at night, and the interior is packed with several customers and waiters going around either taking their orders or serving their food. Outside the restaurant is a long queue with Takao, Yukari and Taiga standing at the very front of it, and beside them is a manager standing behind a podium with a book of reservations and a small headphone at his right ear. Despite living most of his life in Tokyo, Takao didn't know such a bustling restaurant exists at the other side of Shinjuku.

After a group of four satisfied businessmen walk out of the restaurant, the manager briefly listens to his headphone and turns to Takao, Yukari and Taiga.

"We have a table for the three of you now. Please proceed to table 47." The manager said to the three.

"Arigatou." Yukari said to the manager. Taiga hooted and pumps her fists into the air as they enter the restaurant. They head over to an empty table at the far right corner of the restaurant. After the employee finished thoroughly cleaning the table, she walks away, allowing the three to take their seats. Yukari and Taiga sat together while Takao sits at the other side of the table. Taiga draws out three menus from the bottom of the table and hands two of them to Yukari and Takao.

"I'll take Super Chicken Teriyaki as always!" Taiga said enthusiastically.

"And I'll have Seafood Special." Yukari said. She turns to Takao and asked, "What about you, Akizuki?"

"I'll take anything that is cheap. I don't have much money with me to be honest." Takao said sheepishly.

"Oh don't worry. Your dinner is on me then." Yukari smiled at him reassuringly.

"Huh?! Seriously?!" Takao asked his teacher incredulously. Yukari nods her head in response.

"Come on, Akizuki. If Yukari is totally fine in paying your dinner for you, then take this opportunity to eat something that you truly desire!" Taiga coaxed.

Takao stares wordlessly at the two teachers for a moment before looking back at his menu. "Okay. Very well then." He said. After scrutinizing through the list of food on the menu, Takao made his decision. "I'll take a…Tokyo Tempura."

"Good choice, my man." Taiga said with a lopsided grin as she gave a finger gun gesture at him. Yukari turns her head and raises her hand at a nearby waiter. The waiter walks over to them and the three tell him their orders. Takao also told the waiter that he wants a glass of coke. When he asks the teachers what they would like to drink, Yukari and Taiga shake their heads and told the waiter to just serve them their food. After taking their orders, the waiter bows to them before turning and walking to the kitchen.

"Are you guys sure you won't get thirsty while eating?" Takao asked Yukari and Taiga as the latter puts the menus back under the table.

"Oh don't worry. Taiga and I have our own drinks." Yukari said as she and Taiga hold up their water bottles.

"Oh right. You guys have water." Takao said.

"Nope. It ain't water." Taiga said, smiling playfully.

"Huh?" Takao said in confusion. Yukari opens up the lid of her bottle and holds it in front of him. Takao frowns questioningly and he leans forward to smell the top of her bottle. When he recognizes a familiar scent, his eyes widened and he looks back at the teachers in shock. "BEER?!"

"Yup! A.k.a. our liquid bread!" Yukari smiled as she and Taiga place their bottles down on the table.

"It's our mandatory energy drink." Taiga said with her voice resonated into a deep and dramatic tone as she holds up her arm and bicep.

"And you guys were drinking it the whole day, even at school?!" Takao asked incredulously. Yukari and Taiga nod their heads. "Wow! You guys are hypocrites! You are supposed to be our teachers for crying out loud! Our disciplinary role models that we students can look up to! And here you are, breaking the rules in public!"

"Well, that's the privilege of being an adult, kiddo. As long as it's not the law we are violating, we can do whatever we want." Taiga smirked as she places her elbow on Yukari's left shoulder. The teachers turn their heads to each other and chortle while Takao groans as he lowers his head and rubs his temples.

' _Why did I end up with them? Damn you Matsumoto, suggesting that I request Miss Yukino just because literature is my least favorite subject.'_

"So while we wait, what is it that you want to discuss with me, Akizuki?" Yukari asked her student.

Takao looks back up at his teacher. "Ah right." He clasps his hands together under the table. "Yukino-sensei, would it alright if you can accept my request to be my private tutor?"

"Private tutor?" Yukari said as she and Taiga stare at him questioningly.

"Yes." Takao said. "You see…honestly, I'm not very good with my studies, but I wish to pass my exams so that I can have a brighter future for me and my family before I enter society. And because literature is my weakest subject, I want you to be my tutor."

"Hey." Taiga arches an eyebrow. "You are aware that you're not allowed to ask a school teacher to be your own personal tutor for free, right? Why not get an actual private tutor outside of school to teach you?"

Takao looks down at the table dejectedly. _'I knew it.'_

"But what made you want to make such a request?" Yukari asked her student curiously.

Takao looks back up at Yukari and explained, "Well, my family and…things back at home…let's just say things aren't looking so good right now. And with my family struggling with our financial debts, I don't think now is the right time for us to afford a private tutor for me."

Yukari stares wordlessly at Takao for a moment before giving him a weak smile. "I understand." She nods her head.

"That's why I'm hoping that you can help me out, Yukino-sensei." Takao said. "If nobody else can help me with my studies, who will?"

There was a moment of silence at the table until Yukari replied to Takao, "I'll think about it."

Takao perks up upon hearing her response while Taiga widens her eyes in surprise.

"Really? Are you sure you want to accept?" Taiga asked her friend.

"Hey now, I didn't make any sort of final decision yet." Yukari chuckled at Taiga. "But Akizuki here does seem like an honest person." She turns back to Takao and smiles at him again. "And if he is really dedicated in working hard for a brighter future, I'll be willing to help him out with his studies."

Takao felt elated and hopeful over Yukari's response. With a wide smile on his face, Takao bows his head to his teacher with gratitude. "Arigatou, Yukino-sensei!"

"You're welcome." Yukari replied.

"You're fortunate that your teacher is a very generous person. But if she ultimately refuses your request, you have to respect her decision. Understand?" Taiga sternly informed him.

"Understood." Takao said solemnly to Taiga.

Takao, Yukari and Taiga spent the rest of their time conversing and getting to know more about each other. Takao is amazed to learn so much fascinating information about the two teachers, such as Taiga was a professional kendo fighter back in her high school years, which earns her the nickname of 'Tiger', which she honestly dislikes as it sounds similar to her first name. But what amazes him the most is that Yukari was originally from Itomori, the same village that was destroyed by comet Tiamat five years ago. Yukari also shared some stories of how her life was back in the former village and how she and her mother tried adjusting to the urban lifestyle after moving to Tokyo Metropolis. Till this day, Takao is still astonished that there were no fatalities during the Itomori Incident.

When Yukari and Taiga asked him to tell them more about himself however, Takao chose not to explain more about his family's current situation. But he does tell them that his hobbies include drawing and craftsmanship and that his brother is eleven years older than him and currently in the workforce to support his family. Yukari and Taiga are certainly curious to know what particular craft Takao specializes at.

About fifteen minutes later, the waiter returns to their table with their food. He places the bowls of noodles onto the table before turning and walking away. Taiga smiles gleefully at her bowl of Super Chicken Teriyaki noodles before she, Yukari and Takao clap their hands together and bow their heads as they said in unison, "Itadakimasu!"

The three begin to eat their noodles. Takao's eyes widened as he felt the incredible taste of his food in his mouth. "It's delicious!" He commented; absolutely amazed that he had never taste such appetizing noodles before.

"I know right? That is why this ramen shop is the best in all of Tokyo!" Taiga said with a cheerful grin.

Takao smiled before he continues eating his noodles with his eyes wide. Yukari and Taiga watch him eat his dinner in amusement.

"Oh! Trying to finish eating before me, huh? I don't think so!" Taiga began gorging her own noodles as well. Yukari laugh cheerfully as she watches the two completely pigging out on their food with their eyes bugging out. She looks down at her own bowl of noodles and begins eating her food at her own pace.

* * *

After finishing their dinner, Takao, Yukari and Taiga leave the restaurant and head to Shinjuku Station. When they arrive at the entrance of the train station, Takao turns to Yukari and Taiga.

"So I guess this is where we now go our separate ways." Takao said.

"It sure is." Yukari said. Takao and the teachers solemnly bow to each other.

"Thank you so much for listening to what I had to say, as well as the dinner. It was delicious." Takao thanked them.

"You're welcome." Taiga smiled at him. "Study hard and get a good night's sleep."

"I think the latter advice can apply to you too." Yukari reminded her friend.

"Haha, right." Taiga rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

"Well, I have to go now. I don't want to make my mother worry about me. I'll see you tomorrow at school, Yukino-sensei. Goodbye." Takao said before waving his hand at them.

"See you!" Yukari and Taiga both said as they bid farewell to him. Takao turns around and leave, making his way to the ticket gates and ready to take the train home. Taiga sighs before the two teachers turn to each other.

"I got to say, he's actually quite a nice person when you get to know him better." Taiga said.

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked.

"I actually do remember who he is now. No wonder why I found his name familiar when you first introduced him. You weren't in school at the time, but last year, Akizuki actually got himself into a fight near the end of the school year." Taiga explained.

"Really?" Yukari asked incredulously with her eyes wide.

"Mm." Taiga nods her head. "The fight was so brutal that both Akizuki and the third year student whom he fought with have bruises all over their faces. Of course, they were both chastised by Murasaki and the principal afterwards, and they were the talk of the school throughout the last months of the year. You can ask Murasaki about it if you want to know more."

"I didn't know he got himself into that much trouble last year." Yukari murmured. "Why did he pick a fight anyway?"

"Beats me." Taiga shrugged. "But I'm sure it's something that he doesn't want to talk about, right?"

"I guess so." Yukari said. When they finished conversing, the two teachers walk over to the ticket gates, go their separate ways and make their own journeys back home.

* * *

It took thirty minutes for Yukari to arrive at her destination and return back home. When she unlocks the door and enters her rather large apartment, she is greeted by an elderly woman with short grey hair who just stepped out of the kitchen.

"Welcome home dear." The elderly woman said to Yukari with a warm smile.

"Hello mom!" Yukari responded. She walks over to the couch and gently places her leather bag down on it.

"How was your first day of work today?" Her mother asked as Yukari unties her ribbon and removes her pink jacket.

"It was great! I have such a wonderful time lecturing my class today and I even had dinner with Taiga and one of my students after school." Yukari said. She hands her untied ribbon and jacket over to her mother who takes them.

"The only thing that will make things even more wonderful is if you could find a new boyfriend on your first day." Her mother chortled, making Yukari blushed.

"Mom!" She cried with her cheeks turning rosy.

* * *

Takao arrived outside of his home and didn't see his brother's black shoes at the mat, indicating that he hasn't come back from work. He sighed, knowing full well that his brother usually returns home late from his job to avoid making contact with his mother. After removing his shoes, he unlocks the door and enters his home.

Takao walks into the kitchen to find his mother sleeping soundly with her head and arms resting on the dining table. A few empty beer cans are placed around the table and her head. Takao places his schoolbag on one of the chairs before grabbing a plastic bag and putting all the empty cans into it. He ties the bag up and leaves his home for a moment to throw it into the dump. After doing so, he reenters his home and washes his hands at the sink. He goes into his mother's room for a moment to grab her blanket. He walks back into the kitchen and gently drapes the blanket over his mother's back and shoulders. His mother moans for a moment before falling silent and going back to her sleep.

Although he never liked every moment when his mother goes wild and verbally violent, Takao still feels sympathy for her. There is no doubt she had so much love and fondness for his father before and after getting married, so it is understandable why their declining relationship, their eventual divorce and the reality of being a single parent had all brought a huge emotional toll on her.

He grabs his schoolbag and walks into his own room. He turns on the light and places his schoolbag aside. Takao's bedroom is small and messy. There is a bookshelf, mostly filled with sketchbooks and art books about crafting and the human anatomy, placed horizontally at the side of the room. Next to the bookshelf is his wardrobe with a pair of large white curtains in front of it. At the other side of the room are a small wooden shelf with two toolboxes and several rolls of sandpaper, his working desk and a metal shelf filled with shoes, shoeboxes and a pair of plastic mannequin feet. On top of his desk is his table lamp, a pencil sharpener, a sketchbook, an eraser and a holder filled with pencils and pens. In front of it are several sketches of human feet and high heel shoes taped onto the wooden grilles of the large shoji windows of his room. Finally, in the middle of his room and lying on the floor is his futon.

After closing the door behind him, Takao walks over to his desk and sits down on the floor. He grabs a pencil from the holder and opens up his sketchbook, revealing sketches of several different high heel shoes.

A wan smile appears on Takao's face and he momentarily closes his eyelids.

* * *

Two brothers and their parents walk through a field of cherry blossom trees in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden during a sunny morning. The older of the two brothers takes charge of the group of four as he strode through the field. The younger sibling scampers after his older brother, trying to catch up with him from behind. Behind the two brothers were their parents, casually walking through the field together as they watch their sons.

"Hurry up!" An 18-year old Shouta called to his younger brother with an enthusiastic smile.

"Wait, onii-chan!" A 7-year old Takao cried back to Shouta with a frustrated scowl. He began running after Shouta, who turns around and casually walks backwards as he looks back at Takao with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face.

"Takao, please be careful!" Their mother cried to Takao. She turns to her husband and they both laugh cheerfully.

* * *

Later, the family gathered around a wooden bench at the quieter side of the large park. The mother and Shouta sat together on the bench, with the latter holding a carton of tea in his hand which he bought from a vending machine earlier. Takao and his father stood in front of the mother and they hand her a pink box with a white bow tied above it.

"Happy birthday, Mom!" Takao and Shouta cried cheerfully as they place the present on their mother's lap.

"Happy birthday, Reimi." Their father said with a warm smile.

"Arigatou!" Reimi thanked her husband and children as she smiles back at them. She unties the bow and places her hands at the sides of the lid. "What could the three of you have gotten for me?"

Takao goes closer to his mother as she slowly removes the lid of her birthday present. His eyes widened and his mouth gape open in awe as he gazes at what was inside her present all along. It was a pair of glossy dark purple high heel shoes that sparkle through the daylight. Takao looks up at his mother, who places her hand on her chest as she stares down at her present with a mixture of astonishment and overwhelming joy.

"It's what I've always wanted." Reimi murmured. She looks up at her husband and gratefully said to him, "Arigatou."

Takao turns around and sees his father smiling back at Reimi. "You're welcome." He replied.

Takao looks back at his mother and watches her placing her hand on Shouta's shoulder. "Arigatou, Shouta."

"No problem, mom." Shouta smiled back at Reimi before taking another sip of his tea. Finally, Reimi turns to Takao and smiled warmly at her youngest son as she ruffles his hair affectionately.

"Arigatou, Takao." Reimi said softly to him. A wide smile sweeps across his face as Takao jovially gazes back at his mother.

* * *

Takao elicited a blissful sigh before opening his eyes. He doesn't know why, but that was the strongest memory he had when everyone was together and his mother was truly happy. He never forgets that warm and beautiful smile on his mother's face when she first received those beautiful pair of high heel shoes. Remembering that blissful moment is what got him interested in craftsmanship, and what motivated him to become a shoemaker.

While some people may see being a shoemaker as a lowly profession, Takao still strongly believes in how much joy and happiness a pair of shoes can bring to someone, even in the most difficult times in their lives. He believes that if he could create a pair of shoes that are as beautiful as the ones Reimi received that day; it might bring a sense of happiness to his mother and family again.

Takao looks down at his sketchbook and begins drawing many new sketches of high heel shoes. He spent the rest of the night doing so, completely living in his own world, as well as losing track of the time.

* * *

The next morning, every student and teacher return to Shinjuku High for their second day of a new school year. Yukari slides open the door and steps into the staffroom. Shortly after walking into the room, she turns her head and came to a halt when she sees a familiar desk. Her face distorts into a sad frown, knowing that the desk originally belongs to a former co-worker of hers named Souichirou Itou.

As she stood where she is, she could remember the moment that happened five years ago when she was able to gather enough courage to ask Itou out for dinner, which he graciously accept. It was a blissful moment that Yukari will never forget, but has since been tainted by the tragic incident that occurred to her.

She vividly remembers how shy she was to her new co-workers back then, having just moved to Tokyo Metropolis after the destruction of her former hometown. Thankfully, both Itou and Taiga were extremely kind and friendly to her when she first started working at Shinjuku High. They all quickly became friends and Yukari was fond of Itou's genuine kindness towards her, which ultimately made her fall in love with him. For a while, Yukari thought her relationship with Itou would remain warm and tight-knit. But sadly, after the incident that affected her personal life and reputation as a teacher, the relationship between her and Itou grew distant. After no longer being able to cope with the emotional pain from the public humiliation she faced and her declining relationship with Itou, she ultimately resigned and did not return to Shinjuku High until four years later. During the time she left, Itou has since moved back to Sapporo and got married, causing Yukari to feel even more heartbroken.

"Yukino-san?"

Yukari snaps out of her dwelling when she sees a young man sitting at the desk where Itou originally worked at.

"Everything alright?" The man asked her in concern.

"Oh yes. Sumimasen, Inamoto-san." Yukari responded with a wan smile. After bowing apologetically to him, Mr. Inamoto returns back to his work while Yukari walks to her own workstation. After sitting down at her desk, Hitomi walks up to her while carrying a stack of files.

"Yukino, the principal has paperwork for all of us to do. He wants them done by the end of the day." Hitomi said sternly to Yukari as she hands her a file.

"Hai." Yukari solemnly nods her head to Hitomi before taking the file from her. As Hitomi turns around and walks away, Yukari places the file down on her desk and blows out a sigh. She grabs her pen, opens her file and begins her work. Hopefully some paperwork will help her get her mind off of the past.

* * *

The final bell rings, marking the end of another day of school. Takao and the students stood up from their desks and bow to Yukari.

"Arigatou, Yukino-sensei." They said in unison.

"Arigatou, minna-san. Remember to do your assignments and sleep well." Yukari replied to her students.

As the students grab their bags and leave the classroom in an orderly fashion, Yukari inserts her textbook back into her leather bag. She looks up and sees Takao walking over to her desk after every other student had left.

"Thanks again for the dinner last night, Yukino-sensei." Takao said to her.

"You're welcome, Akizuki. That was a very interesting night before." Yukari said. "As for your request, I have still yet to make my decision."

"It's okay. Take your time. And I'll be fine even if you decline it." Takao smiled at her before turning and making his departure.

Yukari frowned for a moment as her memories of Itou didn't fade away since morning. Before Takao could step out of the classroom, she turns to him and called, "Akizuki?"

Takao came to a halt and turns around. "Yes?" He asked his teacher questioningly.

"Have you ever experienced the sense of loss?" Yukari asked.

Takao walks back to his teacher. "Of course I have. Don't we all have?" He replied. Yukari nods her head in agreement. "Why do you ask?"

"I just had a bad memory inside my head right now. Sorry for asking you all of the sudden." Yukari said apologetically.

"It's okay. We all dwell on the past all the time." Takao said. He lowers his head and there was a moment of awkward silence between the two. After letting out a heavy sigh, Takao looks back up at Yukari and continued, "I…used to have a father. He was very kind and friendly. My brother and I enjoyed being around with him when we were little. And when he was around, he was like the glue that keeps our family together. So I do miss him dearly."

"What happened to him?" Yukari asked.

Takao was silent for a moment, but he eventually decides to tell the truth to his teacher. "He left us after filing a divorce with my mother." He replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Yukari said as she felt a sense of guilt.

"It's alright." Takao gave her a wan smile.

"I assume things didn't get any better after the divorce." Yukari said.

"Hai." Takao nods his head. "After he left, the financial debts mount up on us. My mother grew depressed and my older brother, being the only person in the family who is in the workforce, struggled to support us. I tried to focus on my studies when I entered high school. I was lucky to have Matsumoto and Satou as my friends. But as time goes on, the family issues still continue to hurt me mentally. To make things worse, false rumors about me and my family began to spread throughout the school. They said things like my father left because he was drunk and abusive, and that my mother is currently working as a prostitute to earn whatever dirty money she can for my family after the fallout. Those lies infuriated me so much that I asked Matsumoto who was the one that started these rumors. I was so blinded by rage back then that I didn't think twice to go to their classroom as soon as he gave me a name. I started the fight with the third-year student who was the source of my problems in school, and we kept punching each other so hard that I had bandages all over my face."

Yukari gave a soft gasp. _'So that's how he got himself into that fight.'_

"After me and the third year got scolded by the principal, my mother picked me up from school." Takao continued. "When we arrived home, my mother went into a mental breakdown. She kept crying and apologizing to me for failing as a single parent, and she drown herself in alcohol afterwards. It was the saddest display I've ever seen of my mother. That is when I swore to myself that I will never get myself into trouble again, even if the situation within my family gets worse. No matter what happens, I really don't want to see my mother so distraught again."

"That's very noble of you." Yukari smiled weakly at him. "Even though things don't look good for you and your family, and that you're worried about what might happen next, you still choose to struggle and endure the emotional pain for the sake of your mother and brother."

"Thanks. Sometimes I do wish that my parents were still together. But I guess I just have to accept the fact that my father is never coming back." Takao paused for a moment. "Anyways, I think I better get going now."

"Right." Yukari nods her head. "Take care of yourself."

"You too." Takao said before turning and leaving the classroom.

Even after he had left, Yukari still stands at her desk, frowning as she contemplates what Takao had told her.

' _He is just like me.'_

* * *

As night falls over Tokyo, Yukari and Taiga head to a small Chinese restaurant located in the middle of the streets of Shinjuku. It isn't as big and glamorous as the ramen shop they and Takao went to the night before and there are only a few tables with little customers as the restaurant is operated by only a small group of people. Nevertheless, this makes it a peaceful and less crowded environment for Yukari and Taiga to simply enjoy their dinner, and the food served there is still alluring.

"Here you go. Two bowls of rice, youtiao and pork rib soup. Just as you ordered." A Chinese man with long black hair and dressed in a white apron, a brown shirt, blue pants and grey shoes said to Yukari and Taiga after placing their food onto the table. Taiga smiled greedily at the food in front of them before she and Yukari turn to the man.

"Thank you so much, Tai Feng. Your food looks and smells scrumptious as always." Taiga complimented while Yukari gave the man a wan smile.

"Arigatou!" Tai Feng replied as he smiles back at them.

"Bie ke qi!" Taiga said with a grin. Tai Feng bows to the two women before turning and walking back to the kitchen. Taiga and Yukari turn to their food and clap their hands together.

"Itadakimasu." The two women said in unison. But while Taiga sounded cheerful, Yukari's voice was soft and emotionless. Taiga picks up her spoon and chopsticks. But before she could begin to eat, she turns to Yukari and notices the somber expression on her friend's face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Taiga asked Yukari in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry." Yukari said to her apologetically. "I've just been dwelling about the past."

Taiga frowned worriedly at her. "You still think about him, don't you?"

"Sometimes." Yukari replied. "Even though our relationship was never meant to be, I still wish Itou and I could have part ways on better terms."

"Well, I guess the sad reality is that not all things have a happy ending." Taiga said.

"But recently, I've talked to Akizuki again." Yukari said.

"Your student?" Taiga asked.

"Yes." Yukari nodded. "I learnt that he too has his own experience of losing the connection of someone close to him in his life. Even now, just by looking at his sad eyes, I can tell he is still struggling to stay strong and endure the pain he went through. I empathize with him, because I have been there before, and it took me a long time to overcome the trauma I had from the incident four years ago." Suddenly, Taiga looked surprised as the frown on Yukari's face transformed into a determined smile. "And if I'm going to be his teacher, I must do whatever I can to help him, for the sake of my student."

Yukari looks back at her food and begins to eat by picking up the pork rib with her chopsticks and takes a bite of it. She perks up after swallowing her food. "It tastes good!"

"Hey! Don't start without me!" Taiga cried. The two women laugh before they both eat their dinner together.

"By the vay, the prinsipal iz sho evil today by giving us sho march paperwurk!" Taiga pouted at Yukari with her mouth full.

"Swallow your food, Taiga!" Yukari chided.

* * *

The night was rather uneventful for Takao when he returned home. He went to the kitchen and helped cook omurice for him and his mother. His brother isn't at home again, which is obvious that he will be working late and having his own dinner outside.

He and his mother quietly ate their dinner together. Neither of them said a word as they eat. When they finished eating, Takao helps clean the dishes and table while his mother returns back to watching the television and drinking her beer. When he is done, Takao quietly goes into his room and sat down in front of his desk. He sat there and stares at his sketchbook for a moment, remembering what Yukari had said to him before leaving the classroom today.

" _Even though things don't look good for you and your family, and that you're worried about what might happen next, you still choose to struggle and endure the emotional pain for the sake of your mother and brother."_

Takao simply smiled. Yukari is right. His family is still trying to fully recover from the divorce as the days go by. But whatever happens, and no matter how he feels, he needs to stay strong, for the sake of Shouta and his mother.

"Yukino-sensei." He murmured. He opens up his sketchbook, grabs his pencil and begins drawing another round of sketches.

* * *

Another uneventful day went by and the students begin leaving the school when the final bell rang. After bidding farewell to Matsumoto and Satou, Takao lets out a heavy yawn as he continues walking down the school hallways. He ended up sleeping late last night after losing track of the time again while drawing his sketches.

He rubs his tired eyes as he steps out of the main building. When he looks back up, he is perplexed to see Yukari and Taiga standing in the distance and waving their hands at him.

"Akizuki!" Yukari and Taiga both greeted him with wide smiles on their faces.

"Yukino-sensei? Fujimura-sensei?" Takao said in surprise and confusion. He walks over to the teachers. "What is going on here?"

"I have wonderful news for you." Yukari said to him.

"Really?" Takao looks back at her questioningly. Yukari and Taiga nod their heads.

"I've decided to serve as your tutor." Yukari said.

Takao's eyes widened. "You mean it?!"

"Yes." Yukari replied. "I know you must be tired and stressed from all the hardships you and your family are experiencing right now, which is causing you to struggle in your studies. So I've decided that I want to do whatever I can to help you out." She smiles at Takao as she extends a hand to him. "What do you say, Akizuki?"

Takao stares blankly at his teacher for a moment before a wide smile takes form on his face. He lets out a chuckle before he grabs Yukari's hand and shakes it. "Thank you so much, Yukino-sensei." He said gratefully.

"That's not all." Yukari said as they lower their hands. She turns to Taiga, who tittered as she steps forward to Takao.

"After hearing what Yukari had told me all about you, I've decided to lend you a helping hand as well." Taiga said with her hands placed at the sides of her hip. "So consider me as your second tutor and a part of a two-in-one deal!"

"Eh?!" Takao simply said in bewilderment.

"Tell me Akizuki, are you weak in mathematics?" Taiga asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty bad at it." Takao replied. To his surprise, Taiga suddenly wraps an arm around him.

"Then fret no more! As a mathematics teacher, I'll help you out with every problem and equation that you struggle to answer!" Taiga grins at him as she holds out her hand.

Takao smiles back at Taiga before grabbing and shaking her hand. "Arigatou, Fujimura-sensei."

"You're welcome." Taiga replied before removing her arm and stepping away from Takao.

"Now then," Yukari walks over and places herself between Taiga and Takao. "Shall we all go out for dinner before we begin Akizuki's tuition?"

"Hai!" Taiga said enthusiastically as she pumps her fist into the air.

"Seriously? The three of us having dinner together again?" Takao asked incredulously as they begin walking their way out of the school.

"Yup." Yukari said to him before turning to Taiga. "Where do you think we should go for dinner this time, Taiga?"

"How about Starbucks or McDonald's?" Taiga suggested.

Takao groans as he rubs his temples. "Great. I appreciate the food but it seems I'm going to grow fat and bored at the same time every evening from now on."

"Hey, it's still better than just eating chocolate at school the whole day." Taiga said to him.

"Huh?" Takao said in confusion.

"Taiga!" Yukari cried at her friend.

"What? Don't you eat anything else for recess and lunch in school?" Taiga asked Yukari as she places her hands at the back of her neck.

"Seriously? You have chocolate and beer every day in school? That's a weird combination." Takao said to Yukari.

"And you just thought that I'm a freak, didn't you?" Yukari glares at Takao.

"No, I didn't!" Takao cried in alarm. "It's just that…I think every one of us have our own little quirks, don't we?"

The three were silent for a moment before they all laugh cheerfully. "That's definitely true. You're actually quite knowledgeable." Yukari said to him.

"I guess that's a side of me that I didn't expect." Takao replied. He snickered as Yukari and Taiga smiled warmly at him.

The three look back to the front as they walk past the school gates together. Takao couldn't help but smile at his current situation. Not only has he found not one, but two tutors to help him with his studies, but he never would have thought of becoming friends with two teachers from his school who have already started to help remove any doubts and uncertainties he had in his mind.

' _It looks like I may get through high school after all.'_

* * *

 **Song Suggestion:**

 _Baby Don't Know Why by Ms. OOJA_ **(After finished reading the chapter)**

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out this story! I hope you all enjoy reading the first two chapters! If you do like the story so far, I hope you are kind enough to leave a review to tell me what you think, and I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Stay tune for more!**


	3. Dream Within A Dream

_**Dream Within A Dream**_

A smile plasters across Takao's face as he is almost done cooking the omurice for his mother. It has been a month since his tuitions with Yukari and Taiga began. While he is still struggling to cope with his two least favorite subjects, he has since gotten to learn more about Yukari and Taiga through the conversations he had with them during their lessons. Later today, he will be having another private lesson with them after school, and he is actually looking forward to it.

After he finished cooking the food for his mother, Takao turns off the stove and places an empty plastic box beside it. He carefully tilts the wok and slides the omurice into the box. After doing so, Takao places the wok and spatula into the sink and places the lid over the box. As he picks up the box, he turns to his mother who had been sitting at the dining table, watching television with a beer can in her hand.

"Mom, I'll be outside after school again. I've cooked omurice as your dinner. When you are feeling hungry later this evening, it will be in the fridge and you can heat it up with the oven." Takao explained.

"Hai." His mother deadpanned before taking another sip of her beer. Takao goes over to the fridge and places his mother's food inside it. He walks back to the sink and cleans up the wok and spatula.

After finished doing his chores, Takao picks up his schoolbag from one of the chairs and turns to his mother. "Take care of yourself, mom." He said to her.

"Just go to school already." His mother responded irritably. Takao remains silent as he makes his way out of the kitchen.

Shortly after stepping out, Takao looks back at his mother from the corner and watches her lowering her head and placing a hand on her face. Takao frowned as he silently watches his mother weep in sorrow for a moment. He turns his head away and walks out of his apartment.

* * *

The students begin exiting through the main gates of Shinjuku High after another day of school has ended. Takao, Matsumoto and Satou converse with each other as they casually walk their way to the entrance of the main building.

"This year, we are training very hard to help our captain end his final year with the volleyball team on a high note. We hope to win our first qualifier match against Nerima Academia next week." Matsumoto said.

"Good luck Matsumoto." Takao smiled at him.

"We'll be rooting for you and your team all the way." Satou said encouragingly as she holds up her fist.

"Thanks." Matsumoto said, smiling back at them.

"Anyways, Matsumoto and I are planning to go to the mall. Would you like to come with us?" Satou asked Takao just as they stepped out of the main building.

"Yoohoo! Akizuki!" They could hear Taiga calling to Takao. The three friends turn to the front and see Yukari and Taiga waving their hands at them from a distance.

Takao smiled back at the two teachers before turning back to his friends. "Sorry guys, but I promise Yukino and Fujimura-sensei that I'll be studying with them tonight." He said.

"Trying to start a second group outside our circle, eh?" Matsumoto asked, arching an eyebrow suspiciously at his friend.

"Huh?" Takao said in bewilderment. But soon after, a huge smile takes form on Matsumoto's face.

"I'm just messing with ya." Matsumoto chortled. Takao frowns at him while Satou laughed as well.

"Oh well, there's always next time. Good luck with your studies!" Satou said cheerfully as she waves her hand at Takao.

"See ya!" Matsumoto gave a salute to Takao.

Takao waves goodbye to his friends as Matsumoto and Satou walk away. The two students walk over to Yukari and Taiga and bow solemnly to them.

"Goodbye, Yukino-sensei, Fujimura-sensei!" Matsumoto and Satou both said.

"Finish your assignments and sleep early tonight." Yukari said after she and Taiga bows back to the students.

"Unless you're planning to watch a horror movie tonight." Taiga said. Yukari frowns and nudges Taiga's arm with her elbow. "What?" She said to Yukari. Matsumoto and Satou chuckle before they exit through the main gates along with the other students.

Yukari and Taiga turn to Takao as he walks over to them. "Are you ready?" Yukari asked Takao.

"Yeah." Takao nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

When they arrived at Yukari's apartment, Takao and Taiga greeted her mother. Her mother enthusiastically welcomed her daughter's student and friend into their household. The three walk over to the dining table where they will be doing the tuition while Yukari's mother head to the kitchen to prepare something for her daughter and the guests to cater.

After taking their seats, Yukari and Takao take out their literature textbooks. The teacher swiftly advises Takao to read and memorize the poem she had taught him and the class today. Yukari's mother momentarily walks over to the table and hand each of them a cup of water. Takao and Taiga thank her before she returns back to the kitchen and continue cooking. Takao took a few minutes to read through his book before Yukari spoke up, "Are you ready?"

Takao slowly nods his head. "Yeah, ready." He said softly. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he turns the book around and places it onto the table.

"Read out loud." Yukari instructed.

"Take this kiss upon the brow!" Takao read aloud as he opens his eyes. But it didn't take long for his voice to waver. "And, in parting…from you now. Thus…much let me…avow. You are not…wrong…" He groans as he hangs his head in defeat. "I forgot."

Taiga places her cup down and smiles as she holds up her hand. "I win 500 yen."

"Don't treat my lesson as a game!" Takao said to Taiga in annoyance.

"Try again." Yukari said firmly.

Takao picks up his book and reads the poem again. "It seems many of Poe's writings feel sad and enigmatic." He observed.

"That's exactly his writing style for most of his poems." Yukari said. "His works make him widely regarded as a central figure of Dark Romanticism. Sadly, despite having a huge talent in writing, he lived through a sad and depressing life, ranging from tensions with his foster father that cost him his secondary education, to the death of his wife Virginia which substantially led him into depression and alcoholism."

"The sense of loss." Takao said grimly. Yukari nodded in response.

"You can feel it just by reading it." Yukari said. She looks at her textbook and reads it aloud to Takao. " _Take this kiss upon the brow!_

 _And, in parting from you now,_

 _Thus much let me avow-_

 _You are not wrong, who deem_

 _That my days have been a dream;_

 _Yet if hope has flown away_

 _In a night, or in a day,_

 _In a vision, or in none,_

 _Is it therefore the less gone?_

 _All that we see or seem_

 _Is but a dream within a dream._ "

Yukari looks back at Takao and explained, "From the beginning to the end of this first stanza, it literally explains the point of view of the narrator, of how anguish he is over the parting of his lover, and how within time, her disappearance felt like a dream."

"And that dream felt like thin air…which he desperately tries to grasp hold upon…but slowly fade within time." Takao elaborated.

"That's right." Yukari said to him smiling. "Would you like to read the second stanza?"

Takao looks back at his textbook and read to her, " _I stand amid the roar_

 _Of a surf-tormented shore,_

 _And I hold within my hand_

 _Grains of the golden sand-_

 _How few! Yet how they creep_

 _Through my fingers to the deep,_

 _While I weep-while I weep!_

 _O God! Can I not grasp_

 _Them with a tighter clasp?_

 _O God! Can I not save_

 _One from the pitiless wave?_

 _Is all that we see or seem_

 _But a dream within a dream?_ "

"Can you tell me what is going through the narrator's mind when he says that second stanza aloud?" Yukari asked Takao.

"Well…the roar of a surf-tormented shore. The shore is located at a beach. So the word 'surf-tormented' has something do with the sea. And the roar…the seas at the shore were huge and violent?" Takao answered.

"That's correct. What else do you observe in that second stanza?" Yukari asked.

"Well, he has sand in his hand." Takao said as he looks at his textbook again. "Through my fingers…the sand is falling through his fingers as he weeps, which means he's crying." Yukari nodded. "He tries to grasp the sand tighter, but he can't. He couldn't stop the sand from falling as the waves go closer to him." Takao gasped as his eyes widened. "The sand falling…" He looks back at his teacher and asked, "Is it like an hourglass?"

"Yes!" A huge smile forms on Yukari's face as she nods her head again.

Takao briefly gave her a pleasing smile before turning his vision back to his textbook. "And he once again ends it with 'But a dream within a dream'. His time was running out as the wave is about to consume him."

"Indeed. So how are these two stanzas so perfectly connected to each other?" Yukari asked.

"The first stanza was about the narrator losing his lover within time. And the second stanza is about how his death is approaching, also within time. The whole poem is about the narrator losing someone dear to him, then he tries to stay in the present, but inevitably, death will come for him." Takao said before taking a sip of his drink.

"Time waits for no one." Taiga said.

"That's right." Yukari said. "Right now, we are all still young. But not far from now, we will gradually become old and we will have to reflect upon what we have done and what we aren't able to achieve throughout our lives before our unavoidable deaths."

"Sadly, during that time when we are still young and alive, we all fall in love with something or someone." Takao said to Yukari as he frowned at her. "And if we lose that connection, do we choose to keep moving forward, or just stand there until that the violent wave catches up to us?"

"You are right." Yukari murmured as she briefly reminded of Itou once again. She quickly gets out of her thoughts and asked Takao, "Now that you are able to analyze the entire poem, what do you think the title 'Dream Within A Dream' means?"

"Umm…" Takao looks up and stares blankly at the ceiling for a moment. "A double dream?"

Yukari chuckled a bit. "That's true. But it also means waking up from a dream, only to be in another."

"Like how?" Takao asked bewildered as he looks back at his teacher.

"Like that one movie, duh." Taiga said with a sly grin.

"I win five hundred yen." Yukari smirked as she raised her hand.

"Huh?! Why?" Taiga cried at friend incredulously.

"I guessed that you will make that reference." Yukari replied to her. Taiga groans in despair while Takao laughs in response.

"But in all seriousness…" Yukari said as she lowers her hand and turns back to Takao. "The meaning of that sentence is debatable as everyone has their own interpretation of it. But one common theory about it is, have you ever woken up from a dream that you enjoy, only to be rudely woken up back into reality, much to your disappointment?"

"Yes, I have." Takao's eyes softened. "Many times actually."

"And do you ever think to yourself that the reality you are warped back into feels like another dream, but one that you wish to get out?" Yukari asked.

Takao gasped as he picks up his textbook and reads the poem again. "The first stanza…the narrator hints that his time with his lover, now parted, feels like a dream that he has now woken up from. And now he finds himself at the shore, pleading God to stop time. Could he be in another dream, or does he just think it is, because he doesn't want to die?"

"Kind of like what I just said, right?" Yukari asked. Takao places his textbook down on the table and turns to Yukari. He gave her a nod just as Yukari's mother walks over to them with a plate of fried chicken karaage.

"Here you go everyone. Enjoy." Her mother said as she places the food on the table. Takao closes his textbook and moves it aside as he and Taiga stares at food before them and Yukari in awe.

"Arigatou." Takao thanked Yukari's mother.

"You're welcome. Dig in." Yukari's mother replied.

Takao, Taiga and Yukari clap their hands together and cheered, "Itadakimasu!" They each grab a fork and begin eating the food.

After taking a bite, Taiga's eyes nearly bulge out her sockets. She turns her head to Yukari's mother and said enthusiastically, "This is delicious!"

"Indeed!" Takao agreed as he looks back at her mother. "You really cook these very well!"

"Actually, it's my daughter who taught me how to cook them." Her mother admitted with a smile.

"Really?" Taiga said, turning to Yukari.

"Yup." Yukari smiled. "Which I learnt it from a friend of mine."

"Whoever your friend is, they must be very good in their culinary." Takao commented.

"Yes. He sure is." Yukari smiled blissfully as she stares blankly at the karaage on the fork she is still holding in her hand. She looks back at Takao and asked, "When we are done eating, would you like to attempt to read the poem on your own again?"

Takao smirks at her and nods his head. "You bet."

* * *

Takao unlocks the door and steps into his home while carrying a plastic bag. He immediately walks to the kitchen to check up on his mother, but she wasn't at the dining table and the television is off. Hoping to see her there, Takao walks over to her bedroom and quietly opens the door. To his relief, he finds her sleeping soundly on her bed with the sheets over her body. Takao smiled warmly at her tired mother before closing the door to let her rest.

As Takao turns around, he looked surprised to see his brother opening the main door and entering their home.

"Oh, you're back." Takao said to Shouta.

"Hello Takao." Shouta said, smiling at his younger brother. He noticed the bag he is carrying in his hand and asked, "What do you got there?"

Takao glances at the bag he still held in his hand before looking back at Shouta. "Are you hungry?"

"I had my dinner an hour ago and I did walk around the city before deciding to come home…so yes, I'm a little hungry." Shouta replied.

"Then I'm sure you'll love what my teacher's mother had made." Takao smirked as he holds up the bag.

* * *

After clearing the empty beer cans from the dining table, Takao takes out a plastic box from the bag. The box is filled with leftover karaage that Yukari and her mother gave him before leaving their apartment when his lesson ended. He removes the lid and places the box of food onto the dining table just as Shouta entered the kitchen. His older brother is now dressed casually in a simple shirt and shorts after taking some time off to remove his working attire in his bedroom. Takao grabs two clean forks from a holder and the brothers sat together at the dining table.

Takao and Shouta converse with each other as they eat the karaage. Takao explains what he had been doing in school while Shouta shares his stories of what happened at his workplace lately as well as his relationship with Rika. The two brothers laughed after Shouta told Takao a funny moment that happened to him and Rika while they were having dinner together at a local Starbucks.

"I can't believe she would go such lengths just to get the final slice of cake." Takao chuckled.

Shouta lets out a heavy sigh and adjusts his glasses. "Yeah, it's baffling. But that's why I like her." He shrugged.

"It's good to know you and Rika get along together so well. I hope you two will cherish each other for a very long time." Takao said.

Shouta laughed again. "That was very dramatic of you. But thanks. I appreciate it." He smiled at his brother.

Takao stares at his older brother wordlessly for a moment before asking, "Shouta, do you still care about mom?" Shouta's lips flipped into a frown. "I know she isn't herself right now, but that doesn't mean we should ignore her. You know how upset she still is over the divorce. Do you think as her children, we should help her?"

"You think I don't want to help her? Of course I still think about her, because she will always be our mother." Shouta paused for a moment as he stares down at the table. "It's just…how can I help her if she can't help herself? If there still isn't any positive change in her behavior, I don't know how much longer I can tolerate. I just wish she could think about how her own children are feeling about her."

"I know at times, it seems like she cannot be helped. But if we don't do something right now, when will we ever?" Takao asked.

Shouta looks up and gazes at his brother as Takao continued, "Time waits for no one, Shouta. And it is certainly not on our mother's side. We have to make her realize that either she can choose to continue drowning herself in sorrow, or accept what had happened and move forward with her life. I want our mother to change for the better too, and it's up to us to help her."

Shouta stares blankly at Takao for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "When did you grow up so fast?" He asked.

"I'm serious, Shouta." Takao chided as he glares at his brother.

"I'm just pulling your leg." Shouta laughed again. He strokes his hair and looks back at Takao with a solemn frown. "But yeah, you're absolutely right."

Takao holds out his hand to Shouta. "Can you promise me that we can help mom together?"

Shouta nods his head and grabs onto his hand. "I'll try my best." He vowed. Takao smiled at Shouta, satisfied with his brother's answer. Shouta smiles back at his brother as they firmly held onto each other's hand for a good deal of time.

* * *

Reimi yawns as she steps out of her bedroom and walks to the kitchen. She looked surprised to see Takao had already woken up extra early in the morning, making onigiri at the kitchen counter.

"Takao?" Reimi said in confusion, grabbing the attention of her younger son.

"Good morning mom." Takao greeted, glancing at his mother before looking back at the food he is crafting.

"Why are you up so early? It's Saturday today and you would still be sleeping right now." Reimi said questioningly as she just stood at the corner of the doorway to the kitchen.

"True. But I realize that it's been a while since we have eaten a meal together as a whole family. So I've decided to cook breakfast for all of us." Takao responded while still looking at his food. After he finished making the onigiri, he carefully places it onto a plate that also contains egg roll, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes.

"All of us?" Reimi said puzzled.

"Yes, including Shouta." Takao glances at his mother again before grabbing more rice from the cooker and begins making another onigiri.

When Reimi heard the opening of the bathroom door, she turns her head and sees Shouta coming out from the bathroom after dressing into another simple shirt and shorts. Shouta sees his mother and greeted, "Good morning mom."

"Good morning." Reimi replied dully.

Shouta walks past his mother and over to kitchen counter to take a look at the food his brother had prepared. Before Takao could place the next onigiri he had finished making onto one of the plates, Shouta snatches one of the tomatoes and eats it.

"Hey!" Takao cried in annoyance.

After swallowing his food, Shouta turns to his brother and gave him a gentle pat on his back. "Nice work, bro." He said with a warm smile.

"Thanks. And since you have eaten it, this plate shall be yours then." Takao said flatly before placing the onigiri onto his brother's plate.

"Arigatou!" Shouta said cheerfully as he swiftly grabs his plate from the counter and walks over to the dining table.

After watching her children happily interacting with each other in silence, Reimi enters the kitchen and walks over to the fridge. But as soon as she places her fingers on the side of the door, Takao quickly goes over to her and places his hand firmly on her wrist.

"Mom, I've already prepared tea for all of us." Takao said softly to Reimi, gesturing to the cups of tea he had placed on the dining table. "It would be a waste if you don't drink your share of it, right?"

Reimi stares blankly at Takao for a brief moment before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Sure." She replied flatly before turning around and walking over to the table. She and Shouta each grab a cup of tea and look at each other.

"How have you been, mom?" Shouta asked his mom, not wanting them to sit together in awkward silence.

Reimi looked surprised at her elder son's question. "I…u-um…I'm alright, I g-guess." She said with a stutter. Desperately trying to think of what to say next, Reimi asked her son, "How is work?"

"Great." Shouta nodded approvingly. "Everything at work is going perfectly smooth for me. Sorry that I have been coming home late lately."

"It's okay." Reimi murmured. "I just wish you don't overwork too much…like your father."

Shouta remained silent as he stares at his mother with guilt and shame, knowing that she is wrong. He does finish working at his office around the same time as Takao with school. But he chose to continue staying outside until late night to avoid contact with his mother and dealing with her erratic behavior. But now, after realizing that his mother still has feelings for him even after becoming an alcoholic, Shouta couldn't help but feel guilty for worrying her and leaving her alone at home. His thoughts were interrupted when Takao approaches the dining table with two more plates of food.

"Here you go, mom. I hope you enjoy." Takao said, placing one of the plates in front of Reimi.

"Arigatou." Reimi replied.

Takao places his own plate of food on the table and takes a seat. He glances at his brother and mother for a moment before everyone present in the dining area clap their hands together and said in unison, "Itadakimasu."

Everyone picks up their onigiri and eat. Reimi's eyes widen a little after taking a bite of Takao's food. "You could add a little bit more salt, but it does taste good." She remarked.

Takao chuckled a bit. "Thanks mom." He turns to his brother and asked, "Shouta, when we are done eating breakfast, would you like to drive me and mom around the city?"

"Huh? Why?" Shouta asked puzzled. Reimi stares at Takao in confusion as well.

"Because I felt it's been a long time since we all hang out together as a family. So how about an outing for all three of us?" Takao suggested.

Shouta smiled at his younger brother. "Well, it's the weekend and our mother does need to get out of the house more often, so sure. Why not?" He turns to Reimi and asked, "Mother, do you agree?"

Reimi stares wordlessly at Shouta for a moment before she pursed her lips and nodded in response. "Of course. Let's go out together."

Takao and Shouta smile at each other before everyone continue eating their breakfast. While their mother still has a long way to go to recover from her depression, both brothers are happy that they are able to make the first steps in helping her get back on the right track. Takao is also glad that Shouta is now fully committed in being at her side and spending more time with the family. And whatever happens next, they are ready to help each other out.

As Takao had learnt from his lesson with Yukari, even when they lose a special connection in their lives, they could still choose to keep moving forward.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	4. Support

_**Support**_

The bell rang, signaling the end of another day of school. While some students begin walking out of the entrance of Shinjuku High's main building, which has a large black banner displayed above it that says _'Congratulations to our Men's Volleyball Team for qualifying to the Tokyo Metropolis Prefectural Volleyball Tournament'_ , Takao and his friends are casually walking across the bridge and making their way to the other side of the school as Matsumoto and Satou have club activities today.

The three enjoyed conversing with each other until they reached the music room. Two girls who are standing outside the room spotted Satou and they greeted her.

"Hi guys!" Satou waves her hand to the girls before turning to Takao and Matsumoto. "Well, this is where we part ways. Bye!"

"Bye." Takao and Matsumoto both said as they wave back at Satou. The two boys watch Satou walking over to the girls and entering the music room with them.

"I better get going too. Now that the team has qualified to the Prefecturals, we now have to train twice as hard if we want to qualify to the Nationals. See ya!" Matsumoto said, giving his friend a smirk and a pat on his back.

"Okay. Bye." Takao said as Matsumoto hurriedly runs off to the school gym.

Knowing that he is now left alone, Takao sighs inwardly as he adjusts the strap of his schoolbag over his shoulder and silently walks further down the hallway.

* * *

Takao heads to the school's rooftop where he and his friends would usually hang out during their breaks. But of course, due to Matsumoto and Satou being busy with their club activities, Takao is currently the only occupant making use of the area. After sitting down on the bench, Takao places his bag down and gets out his pencil case and sketchbook. He gets out his finest pencil and after flipping through several pages filled with his hand-drawn sketches, he landed upon a clean page of his sketchbook and begins to draw.

Takao always enjoys Fridays, mainly because it is the day when school ends early and most of the students would head to their club activities. It is also the day when he doesn't have any tuition with Miss Yukino and Miss Fujimura. And since his brother is still at work and his mother already had her lunch, Takao can choose to stay in school longer and return home the same time as usual.

Even as he sat at the rooftop, he could still hear the shouting and slamming of baseballs coming from the school's baseball team that is playing on the field below, as well as the beautiful melody being played by various instruments from the school's music club. Takao sighed inwardly, knowing that he used to be in such similar clubs when he was in junior high. But now, he doesn't have a curriculum activity in high school as none of them are to his liking. But it may also be because he has lost his touch to work with others after his personal life is greatly affected by his parents' divorce. And although he has Matsumoto and Satou, Takao couldn't create a bigger circle of friends as much as he wanted to.

He closes his eyelids and shakes his head to get out of his thoughts. He looks back at his sketchbook and continues to draw, as right now the only thing he needs to think of is making use of his free time to do what he loves. And with no extra lessons today and allowed to take as much time as he wants before returning home, Takao can feel relieved that there will be no further distractions-

"Wow, is that a shoe design?"

"Huh?!" Takao looks up and backs away, surprised to see Miss Yukino standing right beside him and looking down at his sketchbook, which he quickly closes it. "Yukino-sensei! What are you doing here?!"

"What's wrong? I can't see?" Yukari smiled as she looks up at Takao.

"It's not something worth seeing." Takao replied sheepishly with an embarrassed frown.

"Yonk!" While he was distracted however, Taiga snatched the sketchbook out from Takao's hands, much to the boy's shock.

"Hey!" Takao cried as he turns to the other side and sees Taiga opening his sketchbook and take a good look at his sketches.

"Oooohhhh, they look beautiful!" Taiga said in astonishment as Yukari walks over to her side and sees Takao's sketches as well.

"I know right?" Yukari said amusingly. "Who knew you're such an amazing artist, Akizuki?"

"Ugh, you guys are awful." Takao muttered as he rubs his temples.

"I really like this one. It's adorable." Taiga commented as she placed her finger onto one of Takao's sketches. The two teachers are now clearly preoccupied with looking through the boy's sketchbook as they ignored his irritation.

"I think so too." Yukari agreed. She and Taiga chortled while Takao lets out a frustrated sigh.

"What are you two doing here anyway? And how do you find me?" Takao asked exasperatedly.

"Sorry." Taiga apologized, closing his sketchbook as she and Yukari look back at him. "Yukari and I did spot you walking up to the rooftop and well…we decided to follow you."

"So you guys are also stalking me now, huh? Some teachers you are." Takao said morosely.

"Cheer up, Akizuki." Yukari said, taking out a chocolate bar from her bag and hands it to her student. "Want some?" She coaxed.

Takao frowns wordlessly at Yukari for a moment before taking the chocolate bar from her. "Arigatou." He murmured. Yukari and Taiga sat beside the student on the bench and the latter hands his sketchbook back to him.

"So how long have you been drawing?" Taiga asked as Takao takes his sketchbook back from her.

"Very long." He replied as he looks down at his sketches.

"You seem to have a fascination in drawing shoes. Do you aspire to become a shoemaker?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, I do." Takao said sheepishly. "I know many people think that being a shoemaker seems out of touch today, but-"

"What are you talking about? I think that's great!" Taiga said enthusiastically as Takao looks at her with his eyes widened.

"Indeed." Yukari nods her head in agreement. "It's great that you are able to find what you love to do at such a young age."

Takao turns to Yukari and frowns. "Well, I'm still terrible at designing them…but I still love doing it." He said.

"If you love doing something, you shouldn't give up on it." Yukari said encouragingly. "I think being a shoemaker sounds great. Like you said, it may seem out of touch now because our world is changing every day, but I still believe keeping old traditions alive is very important to all of us. So I think you should pursue what you love to do as your career."

"Why did you choose teaching as your career then, Yukino-sensei?" Takao asked.

"Well, I fondly remember my own literature teacher back in high school, mainly because of her genuine kindness." Yukari explained. "And, believe it or not, like you, I wasn't good at literature back then."

"Seriously?" Takao said incredulously.

Yukari laughed. "It's true. But my literature teacher treated me and my classmates with so much love and kindness. She was always there for us whenever we struggle to keep up with her lessons. And as she taught us, I realized how dedicated and determined she was with her job. She has ultimately become my inspiration, to become a better person, and to become a teacher as well. Through her lessons, I realized that I want to be just like her. To encourage others to become better people too. That is what made me choose to pursue teaching as my career after graduating."

"What happened to your teacher?" Takao asked.

"The day I graduated from high school was also her final day working there. Because of her pregnancy, she decided to quit her job and return to the city, but not before me and my class threw a farewell party to her." Yukari answered. "Although I may never see her again, she will always be in my memory, mainly because she is responsible for what I've become today. That is why it's so important for all of us to have someone we can look up to. Your friends, relatives, even your teachers. Surely, you too have someone in your life who inspired you to become a shoemaker, right?"

Takao stares at Yukari wordlessly for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes." He replied.

Yukari smiles back at Takao before asking, "With that said, are you prepared for your midterms?"

"What? Yes! Of course!" Takao snaps out of his thoughts and nods his head again.

"You only have ten days left before the exams. So don't forget everything we have taught you." Taiga said sternly with her arms folded.

"Of course, Fujimura-sensei." Takao said, turning to Taiga.

Taiga made a sly grin. "Well, since we got you right where we want you…what is 2x minus 2 plus 8?"

"Huh? Are we seriously having a lesson now?" Takao asked incredulously.

"Yup, now answer my question!" Taiga demanded.

Takao groans in frustration, knowing that his free time has now been taken away by his tutors. Nevertheless, he flips to the next page of his sketchbook and quickly writes down the equation. Yukari chuckled as she and Taiga watch him solving the equation.

* * *

After his lesson with Taiga, Takao part ways with her and Yukari and makes his way home. As he leans against the side wall and stares out through the glass windows of the train doors, he couldn't help but contemplate what Yukari had told him, as well as notice the similarities between them.

Like Takao, Yukari was able to find what she wanted to do early in her life, and she had her literature teacher to thank her for that. She chose to become a teacher because of her desire to inspire future generations into becoming better people when they enter society. And through his time with her, he can see she undoubtedly has love and passion for her career.

As for him, he found what he wanted to do in his life on the day he sets his eyes on the most beautiful high heel shoes his mother received for her birthday. That memory of seeing the blissful smile on his mother's face when she received those shoes was the sole reason why Takao wanted to pursue shoemaking as his future career.

A smile takes form on Takao's face as he couldn't help but agree with what Yukari said to him. Everybody needs to find what they love to do, no matter how out of touch it seems. And if they can't find it, they need someone who they can rely on to look for it.

' _I never knew students and teachers can be so much alike.'_

When he realized that the train has arrived at his destination, Takao quickly got out, makes his way out of the station and continue his journey home.

As he arrived at his apartment, Takao takes the elevator up to his home. When the doors open, Takao steps out and walks down the corridor. But as he goes nearer to his home, his eyes widened when he could hear wailing coming from the inside.

"Mom…" He uttered.

Takao rushes to the door and hurriedly takes out his keys. As soon as he unlocks the door and steps into his household, Takao drops his schoolbag down on the floor and dashes to the kitchen. As he stood at the doorway, he finds his mother at the dining table, sobbing and wailing as her eyes are buried into her arm placed on the table. Takao also noticed several empty beer cans lying around the table and floor.

Knowing that she is going through yet another mental breakdown, Takao scurries over to his mother and gently places his hands on her trembling shoulders. "Mom…"

As soon as he whispered to her, Reimi lets out a screech of fury as she jolts up from her chair.

"SHUT UP!" As Reimi bawled, she blindly swings her hand and delivers a hard slap across Takao's left cheek as she turns to her son. The slap sends Takao whirling about and falling onto the floor on his face.

As she looks down and takes a few deep breaths, Reimi widens her eyes and her jaw plummeted in horror as all the anger, sorrow and frustration that was quivering inside her moments ago is now gone within an instance when she realized that she had slapped her son.

"Oh my God, Takao!" Reimi cried as she rushes over and kneels down to her son's level. She grabs his arms as she helps him get up from the floor. "Takao, I am so sorry-"

"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FACE THE FACT THAT FATHER ISN'T COMING BACK!" Takao bellowed as he turns his head and glares at his mother.

Reimi stared blankly at her son as her eyes remained wide in shock and horror. The two continue staring at each other in a moment of dead silence before Reimi grits her teeth and began trembling in sorrow as tears flooded in her eyes. Takao gazes at his mother as she places her hand over her eyes and unsuccessfully prevents her tears from flowing down her cheeks like tiny rivers.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Reimi whimpered.

Takao didn't say a word as he gets himself up from the floor and grabs his mother's arms. He helps the hopeless woman get back up to her feet and the two slowly walk over to the chair. After her son pushes the empty beer cans aside and gently places her down on the chair, Reimi sniffed as she looks up at Takao with tears still pouring out from her eyes.

"Takao…I'm just…" Reimi paused for a moment to take a gulp. "I'm scared…"

Takao grabs a chair and sits in front of his mother. "It's okay mom. Relax. I'm here." He said to her soothingly as he gently pats her thigh.

Reimi closes her eyes and inhales deeply before looking back at her son. "Your father…he meant everything to me…but he was also right about me…I really am hopeless without him. Takao, I really am scared of being alone. I was so upset when your father left me. And now…Shouta is going to leave me as well. And when he does, it will just be me and you. But eventually…you will grow up as well…find work and possibly love…and move out of this place too. I want you boys to be happy. But what about me? How can I ever be happy again…if I'm all alone?"

Takao silently goes over to his mother and pulls her into a warm embrace. As Reimi buries her face onto Takao's shoulder with her tears splashing onto his sleeve, she could feel her son gently rubbing her back to comfort her.

"It's okay. Everything is going to be fine." Takao whispered into his mother's ear.

"How? How can you promise me that?" Reimi replied softly. As Takao pulls away from his mother, Reimi stares at her son in pained confusion as she sees a solemn frown in his face.

"Mom…you think you're the only one who is upset that father left us?" Takao asked. "I miss him too, because whenever he is around, he always knows what to do. He is like the glue that keeps us together. But times have changed. He isn't here anymore, and I just have to accept it. But even though Shouta and I don't have a father anymore, at least we still have you."

Reimi's mouth gapes open upon hearing those words.

"And yes, Shouta is old enough to move out of this place now. I know you are scared of him moving out of your life, the same way father did to you…" Takao gently picks up his mother's hands and clings onto them as he looks right into her tearstained eyes. "But you have me. And I know I'm only fifteen and still don't have a lot of experience, but I'm still your son. As a member of this family and household, I will look after you and give every ounce of support you need, because you deserve someone you can rely on. And because you will always be my mother."

Reimi pursed her lips as she places her hand on Takao's right cheek. "Since when did you become so mature?"

Takao gave his mother a warm smile. "You have no idea what I've been through while you were at home."

Just then, he and his mother could hear the footsteps of another person making his way to the doorway of the dining room. They turn their heads and see Shouta standing there, looking back at them in confusion.

"What's going on here? And why is the door left opened?" Shouta asked.

"It's a long story." Takao said to his older brother. Shouta looks at his mother and see her holding out her hand, gesturing him to come over. As Shouta walks over to her, Reimi wraps her arms around the backs of her sons and pull them into an embrace.

Although Shouta is still confused over what is presently going on, he couldn't help but smile nevertheless as he and Takao proceed to hug their mother back, and the three stayed there for as long as they need to.

* * *

 _ **Ten days later…**_

Takao, Matsumoto and Satou walk through the gateway and find themselves standing in front of the school's main building. The three sigh heavily knowing that today is the beginning of the first midterm exams of the year. Everything that they have been taught and studying for the last three months has come down to this, and sooner or later, they are about to find out if all of their efforts have paid off.

"Well then, are you ready for the midterms?" Satou asked her friends. Takao and Matsumoto nodded.

"Wish us the best of luck." Takao said. The three friends bump their fists together before looking back at the main building and begin making their way to the classroom.

* * *

 _ **Seven days later…**_

"Congratulations Akizuki!"

Yukari and Taiga both cheer as they and Tai Feng gave Takao an applause. Today, Takao received his results for his first midterm exams. In the end, he passed Japanese, Fine Arts and to his surprise, Mathematics as well. Unfortunately, he failed to achieve his target in passing four subjects and despite his lessons with Yukari, he couldn't pass his literature test, much to his disappointment. Nevertheless, when Takao announced his results to his friends, Matsumoto and Satou still encouraged him to not give up and work harder next time. And both Yukari and Taiga too also cheer him up by taking him to their favorite Chinese restaurant after school where they held a celebratory dinner for him. On the table between them right now are several bowls of rice, youtiao and pork rib soup.

"Well done in passing your Japanese, Fine Arts and Mathematics!" Yukari said.

"We are so proud of you." Taiga added.

"Thanks. But to be honest, I'm still not good enough." Takao murmured. "I only barely passed mathematics and I still failed in literature. I'm sorry I couldn't pass four subjects."

"That's okay." Yukari smiled at Takao. "You just have to try harder next time. And besides, you still have two more months before the final exam of the first term anyway, and that's plenty of time for you to improve in your math and literature. But until then, I'm proud of how far you have come."

"Yup, so cheer up kid. You're lucky to have these two helping you out." Tai Feng said to Takao as he places his hands at the sides of his hip. "Besides, at least you still did better than me in mathematics. It wasn't just my least favorite subject in high school, but also my least favorite subject period!"

"Then I guess it's a shame you didn't went to the same school as Fujimura-sensei." Takao said to him.

Taiga gasped for a moment before smiling back at Takao. "Thanks. I'm so touched."

Tai Feng laughed at Takao as he scratches his head. "I guess you're right. But at least the high school I went to back in China was where I met the girl who would eventually become my wife. We would later move to Tokyo and start this business together. It wasn't easy…"

As Tai Feng continues chattering to Takao and the teachers, a woman with dark red eyes, oval-shaped eyebrows and long dark purple hair, tied to two ponytails, stops slicing the chicken for a moment and looks up at them from behind the kitchen counter.

"Oh great, there he goes, rambling to our customers." The woman muttered as another woman whose long dark green hair is tied to two ponytails walks over to her while holding a mop and a bucket of water.

"It's okay, boss. At least the customers seem to enjoy listening to your husband." The dark green haired woman said to her.

"Don't you have some tables to clean, Lenalee?" The dark purple haired woman chided her in annoyance. Lenalee chuckled as she walks off to one of the tables. The woman then shouted at her husband. "And Tai Feng! Stop disturbing the customers and get back to work!"

"Coming, Izumo-chan!" Tai Feng glances at his wife and gave her a cheerful grin. He turns back to Takao and the teachers and said, "Anyways, enjoy your dinner everyone, and keep working hard, kid."

"Arigatou!" Takao said as he, Yukari and Taiga wave goodbye to Tai Feng as he walks off.

"Oh and Akizuki, as another gift for your hard work, I have something very special for you." Yukari said.

"Really?" Takao asked. Yukari nodded in response. The boy watched as Yukari opens her leather bag and pulls out a thick book. As Yukari holds out the book to him, Takao widens his eyes as he takes a good look at the front cover. The cover has images of some leather shoes, with its title _'Handmade Shoes'_ printed on top of them.

"This is for you." Yukari said. Takao continues staring at the cover in awe as he takes the book from her and lays it on his lap. "Since you have such great passion for shoemaking, I thought this book is perfect for you. I really hope you can fulfil your dream in pursuing what you love to do as your future career."

Takao kept gazing at his gift, knowing that what his teacher had bought for him wasn't cheap. And despite having several reference books in his room, he has never own one that is this huge and possibly filled with more information and assistance in shoemaking than he could ever hope for. Eventually, a huge smile takes form on his face before he looked up at Yukari and said to her gratefully, "Arigatou!"

"It's my pleasure." Yukari responded as she smiled back at him. "And if you wish to repay me, just promise us that you will continue to study hard and pass the final exams. That is all I ever need."

Takao's eyes softened as he and Yukari continue staring wordlessly at each other with smiles on their faces. The boy couldn't help but feel a huge sense of gratitude towards his teacher for the genuine kindness she had displayed to him for the last three months.

"Now then, shall we eat?" Yukari asked.

"Yes, let's dig in!" Taiga said ecstatically as she places her hands together.

"Of course." Takao nods his head before putting the book into his schoolbag. He and Yukari also place their hands together before they and Taiga close their eyes and cheered.

"Itadakimasu!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**

 **Izumo is actually a character from Ao No Exorcist while Lenalee is from D Gray-Man. I hope you don't mind their cameos. ^^**


	5. Tolerance

_**Tolerance**_

Shortly after parting ways with Satou as she heads into the music room, Takao and Matsumoto make their way to the gymnasium together. It has been four days since the students had gotten their results of the first midterms, and even though they only have two months to prepare for the final, everybody can feel a sense of relief for now that the first exam season of the year is over. And today, unlike previous Fridays which he would go to the rooftop to draw and not have a care for the world, Takao is heading to the gymnasium instead with Matsumoto to begin his first day with the school's volleyball team.

Four days ago while having his celebratory dinner with his tutors; Miss Yukino was sharing more stories of her days in high school back in Itomori. Not only did she told Taiga and Takao more about her literature teacher, but the conversation later turned into how she used to be a member of Itomori High School's women's volleyball team and that she had represented her school and hometown in tournaments in the Gifu Prefecture. This story would revive Takao's thoughts about ever joining a curriculum activity in school again after his parents' divorce. But instead of keeping them to himself, he decided to open them up to his teachers, and thanks to their coaxing, Takao chose to take their advice and join a club. And even if it doesn't share similarities to his love for shoe design, Miss Yukino assured Takao that not everyone needs to follow the traditional path to achieve what they desire.

The following day, Takao admits to Matsumoto and Satou that he wished to join a club, much to their surprise. Matsumoto told Takao that luckily, there is still one available slot left in the men's volleyball team, which must be an ironic fate that it would be the same curriculum activity as Miss Yukino, and he invited him to come to the gymnasium this Friday which he quickly accepts. Now, the day has come and although Takao has no idea what may be in store for him next, he believes it can't be anything too bad.

"Thank you so much again for joining the volleyball team. I'm really still surprised that you wanted to join a club." Matsumoto said to Takao as they walked together.

"Well, I can't spend the rest of my school life just listening to our classes and hanging out on the rooftop, right?" Takao replied.

Matsumoto laughs and places his hand on Takao's shoulder. "True. And I'm glad you chose us. We weren't able to attract a lot of new students to join our club this year, so we've desperately been waiting for someone to fill up the final twelfth slot in the team for the last 5 months. And I never thought it would be my best friend of all people."

Before they knew it, the two boys find themselves in front of the gymnasium. The two enter and see the other members of the volleyball team already dressed in jerseys and doing their exercises. As they walk through the gym, Takao immediately noticed a few members standing at the side, murmuring to themselves as they eye at him. Takao sighed inwardly, guessing that the boys must have recognized him from the fight he got himself into last year. But he quickly snaps out of his thoughts and looks to the front to see a young adult man approaching him and Matsumoto. He has messy black hair and dressed in a teal tracksuit with white stripes along its long sleeves.

"Good afternoon, Sasaki-san." Matsumoto greeted the man as he and Takao bow to him. After the man bows back to them, Matsumoto gestures him to Takao. "This is the student who wished to join our team."

"Ah, you must be Takao Akizuki. Matsumoto told me all about you. Thank you for joining the men's volleyball team. My name is Kenta Sasaki. I am the coach of this team." The man said to Takao as he extends out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Sasaki-san." Takao responded as he grabs and shakes his hand.

"I'm sure you know by now that our team has recently qualified into the Tokyo Metropolis Prefectural Tournament. But now, we are working harder than before to qualify to the Nationals and help our captain end his senior year on a high note." Sasaki explained before turning his head to a light gray haired boy who is standing in the distance and stretching his triceps. "Sawada-san!"

The boy lowers his arms and turns around to see his coach gesturing him to come over. He jogs over to Sasaki and face Takao.

"Akizuki, this is our team captain, Jiro Sawada." The coach introduced the boy to Takao. "Sawada, this is Takao Akizuki, the newest member of the team."

"Nice to meet you, Akizuki-san!" Jiro greeted Takao with a warm smile as he extends out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Sawada-san." Takao replied as he shakes his hand.

"I'm really happy to see you here filling up the final slot. Now we can proudly enter the Prefectural with a full 12-men team!" Jiro said enthusiastically.

"Sawada-san has been working very hard as our captain and star player for the last two years. That is why all of us want to repay him back for everything he has done by bringing our school to the national stage before his graduation." Matsumoto said to Takao.

"Let's hope we can work together to achieve that goal, Akizuki-san!" Jiro said to Takao cheerfully.

"I hope so too." Takao said, bowing his head. He turns back to Sasaki and asked, "So, may I know who the faculty advisor of this club is?"

Matsumoto yelps and rolls his eyes to the side. "Well…"

"That would be me."

Takao immediately felt chills running down his spine upon hearing the flat voice, as if it belongs to the devil. He cringes as he slowly turns around to face the source of the voice, who happens to be a familiar woman whose brown hair is tied to a long ponytail and currently wore a black tracksuit.

"M-M-Murasaki-S-S-Sensei…" Takao managed to say as he trembled in horror.

"Good afternoon, Akizuki-san." Hitomi responded as she kept her cold frown.

"Huh? Murasaki-san, you actually know him?" Sasaki asked incredulously as he and Jiro stare at Hitomi.

"Yes." Hitomi replied flatly.

"That's great! What a small world we live in! I'm sure with your presence; Akizuki here will get along with the rest of the team just fine!" Jiro said with a cheerful grin.

"Indeed." Sasaki nods his head. "Now then, Sawada, Matsumoto, escort Akizuki to the changing room and find a jersey in his size for him."

"Hai." Jiro and Matsumoto both responded before the latter gestures Takao to follow them.

As Sasaki and Hitomi walk away, Takao whispered to Matsumoto exasperatedly as they and Jiro walk to the changing room, "Matsumoto! Why didn't you tell me that Murasaki-sensei is your club's advisor?!"

"If I had told you, would you still join our club?" Matsumoto replied sheepishly. Takao instantly grabs Matsumoto's collar and shakes him frantically.

"Damn you Matsumoto!"

* * *

 _ **Three Days Later…**_

Takao grumbles under his breath as he read his literature textbook with a deep frown while sitting at the dining table in Yukari's apartment. As Yukari and Taiga watch him, the former had to ask her student out of curiosity, "Akizuki-san, what's wrong with you? You still had that face ever since our lesson in school."

"Maybe he's trying to see his forehead." Taiga sneered.

"Not funny!" Takao snapped at Taiga as he places his textbook down on the table. Taiga snickered as she shrugged. Takao lets out a frustrated sigh before turning to Yukari, "Three days ago, I officially joined the school's men's volleyball team."

"That's great! I'm glad you took our advice." Yukari smiled back at him.

"However, as if fate had to throw a brick right in my face, it turns out the club's faculty advisor is Murasaki-sensei." Takao muttered.

"Ooooohhhhh, that's really not good." Taiga cringed. "You know the phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'? Well, Murasaki is _the_ hell and fury, but doesn't need to be rejected to show that."

Takao groans and rubs his temples. "What should I do? I can't quit now since Matsumoto and the club's captain seem really eager to have me in the team, and I don't want to disappoint them. But I'm not sure if I can tolerate having Murasaki-sensei in the club too."

"Well, just because you have someone who seems cold towards you doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance." Yukari said.

"What do you mean?" Takao asked as he looks back at her.

"In my previous job, I worked with someone who acts like Murasaki-san too." Yukari explained. "Like her, she was mostly cold and bitter, and we initially didn't get along with each other because we have, shall we say, different ideologies. She was very authoritative towards us and seems like an icy shell that is hard to penetrate. But over time, I learnt more about her, how she isn't always cold as it seems, and despite having her own ideology, she does care about the people around her, including me. That is when I realize she isn't someone who deserves scorn, but sympathy."

As Takao continues staring wordlessly at his literature teacher, a small encouraging smile takes form on Yukari's face as she added, "I know you and Murasaki-san have a…complicated history with each other. But I think you should give it some time. Eventually, you may realize another part of her that you've never seen before. Every one of us has our own little quirks. Don't you remember saying that to us before?"

"Um, yes." Takao nods his head.

Just then, Yukari's mother approaches them while carrying a tray with cups of water. Yukari, Takao and Taiga each grab a cup and take a sip of water as the mother turns around and walks away. The three put down their cups on the table before Takao and Yukari continue their tuition.

* * *

Later that night, Takao returns back to his apartment. Upon stepping into his home, he walks over to the doorway to the kitchen and sees his mother cleaning up the floor with a wet mop.

"Hi mom." Takao greeted.

"Hello Takao." His mother responded wearily as she stood up and places the mop aside.

"Feeling tired?" Takao asked.

"Yeah." Reimi said as she wipes off the sweat from her forehead. "I guess it's mainly because I hadn't done any spring cleaning of my own in a very long time."

Takao couldn't help but smile at his mother for a moment. He places his schoolbag down before entering the kitchen and takes the mop from her. "Take a seat. I'll do the rest."

As Reimi sat down beside the table and watches her son clean the kitchen throughout the rest of the night, she realized how tolerant and hardworking Takao truly is. Despite his young age, he still did everything he can to support her, all while tolerating her alcoholism and disruptive behavior as well. She couldn't help but be reminded of her former husband as she watched her second son. She could remember the day she and her former husband got married and they vow to each other that they will work hard to support their future children and even dream of travelling around the world together.

She could remember the early days of their marriage, long before Takao was born, Reimi saw how hardworking her former husband was with his job as an administrative worker, usually with his phone to have calls with his higher-ups and making business trips for his company. He was like a multitasker who works from day to night non-stop. And while it does shorten the time she and her former husband are able to spend time together as a couple, Reimi still believes that he did all of this to help support her and their children.

But eventually, she did lose her tolerance to deal with her former husband's absence, constantly feeling bitter and frustrated that he isn't always around to spend time with her and their children. Both Reimi and her former husband would now mostly get into arguments, to the point they both realize that the love they once had for each other has faded away. And soon after, they would file for a divorce, leaving the custody of Takao and Shouta over to Reimi while her former husband would never be seen again.

While Takao is busy cleaning the sink, Reimi wipes away a tear from her eye behind his back. She can't help but feel that history is repeating itself for the Akizukis as it is now Shouta who fills her former husband's role in supporting the family while she on the other hand is completely unemployed and drowning in self-pity at home. It was as if the determination she once had and shared with her former husband is gone while her children are still trying to move forward and doing everything they can to survive and thrive for a better life, even without a father. And now, Reimi felt hopeless all over again when Shouta announced his relationship with his co-worker and plan on moving out of the apartment in the future. And just like his older brother, within time, Takao will finish his studies, enter society, find love and move out to have his own life as well.

And what will become of Reimi then? Who else can she rely on after her sons leave as well? No one, but herself. Reimi couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for being a pathetic woman who is unable to continue performing her responsibility as a mother and a role model to her sons.

But then she realized something else. It's still not too late.

Shouta may be moving out of the household not far from now, but at least she still has Takao. And while her younger son is still living with her, she needs to find the strength to live her life again, not as a helpless woman who needs to rely on others, but a proper mother who can take care of her children, and herself. She needs to set a good example to her sons again, and it is still not too late for her to do so.

When Takao finished cleaning the sink and putting the cloth aside, he turns around to find his mother still sitting beside the dining table.

"Arigatou, Takao." Reimi said softly.

"You're welcome." Takao responded. He walks over to his schoolbag and took out his sketchbook and pencil case. Reimi watches her son questioningly as he turns around and walks back to her.

"Umm, mom? Would it be okay if you can do a favor for me?" Takao asked as he stood in front of her.

"Sure." Reimi said despite still feeling unsure of what her son is trying to do.

"Lift up your foot." Takao instructed. Reimi remain silent as she obliged. After his mother lifts up her foot, he places his sketchbook on the floor and underneath it. He looks up at his mother and said, "Put your foot down on the book." Reimi carefully places her foot down on the clean page of Takao's sketchbook. "Now stay still."

Takao wraps his hand around his mother's ankle and uses the pencil to slowly draw along and around her foot. When he finished, Takao lifts his mother's foot up and removes his sketchbook. After placing her foot down, Takao grabs a set square and measuring tape from his pencil case. His mother watches in awe as her son uses these tools to measure her heel and around her foot. When Takao finished writing the measurements on his sketchbook, he looks back at his mother and said, "Promise me you will not ask what I'm doing."

Reimi chuckled. "Alright."

"You'll find out within time." Takao gave his mother a smirk before getting back up and bows his head to her. "Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight to you too." Reimi replied before Takao walks out of the kitchen and heads into his room.

Reimi gets up from her chair and walks over to the fridge. She opens it and grabs a can of beer. Her eyes softened as she knows what has to be done. She began grabbing all the other beer cans from the fridge before closing it. She places all the cans on the dining table before grabbing a plastic bag and putting them all inside. After tying a knot over the bag, she carries it as she makes her way out of her home and walk over to the dump.

The moment she places the bag of beer cans into the dump and closes it would mark the beginning of her path of rebuilding herself.

* * *

After taking a shower and changing into a t-shirt and shorts, Takao heads into his room and sat behind his desk. As he places his sketchbook on the desk, he slowly tears out the page with the outline and measurements of his mother's foot.

He places the page aside and flips through the previous pages of his sketchbook until he finds the shoe design which he had drawn a huge circle around it. Takao taps his finger on the sketch and a smile appears on his face.

Takao pulls out the book which Miss Yukino had bought for him from the wooden shelf, opens it and places it on the desk in front of him.

' _Just wait mom. I'll make the most beautiful shoes you have ever seen yet.'_

Takao carefully pulls out the toolbox from the wooden shelf and places it on the floor. He opens it and begins the first stage of producing his gift for his mother.

* * *

"Goodnight mom." Yukari said to her mother before they enter their respective bedrooms.

Yukari, now dressed in a simple yellow t-shirt and dark red shorts, walks up to her bed and lets out a heavy sigh as she lies down on it.

After lying there and gazing up at the ceiling for a few seconds, Yukari turns to the side and picks up her phone from the small table next to her bed. She unlocks the phone and brings up a photo that brings a blissful smile to her face. Inside the photo are her and a woman, whose blonde hair is tied to a ponytail and dressed in a black tie, gloves, suit and pants, sitting together behind a table in a bar and smiling at the camera.

Yukari gazes at the picture for a few moments before murmuring, "Wherever you are…Goodnight, Saber."

With that, she turns off her phone and places it back on the small table beside her. She proceeds to turn off the lamp on the table and everything in her room went black.

* * *

 _ **Four Days Later…**_

Takao, Matsumoto and their teammates begin clearing out the gymnasium after another day of training has ended.

While Takao is busy untying the ropes of the net from the metal poles along with another member of the volleyball team, he turns his head for a moment and sees Hitomi sitting with a fellow teammate at the side of the gymnasium.

Takao could clearly see that his teammate is downhearted just by looking at his sad eyes. But as the teammate stares back at Hitomi, the older woman is…smiling, as she talked to him.

"Akizuki! Stop daydreaming and help out!" His teammate who is standing at the other side of the net chided Takao when he noticed that he has gone idle.

"Oh, sorry!" Takao replied apologetically as he looks back at the pole and continues untying the ropes.

* * *

"See you tomorrow!" Matsumoto said and waves goodbye to Takao as soon as they stepped out of the school's main building.

"See you!" Takao replied and watches his friend rush off to the school gates. But his attention turn to someone else when he immediately noticed the same boy whom Hitomi was talking with back at the gym standing behind the gates and waiting at the side of the road.

"See you tomorrow, Kitagawa-san!" Matsumoto said to the boy as he reached the gates.

"See you, Matsumoto-san." The boy replied as Matsumoto turn to his left and walk down the pavement. As Kitagawa turns back to his front, he didn't expect to be greeted by another voice.

"Kitagawa-san." Takao said as he steps out of the premises of the school.

"Oh." Kitagawa turns his head to Takao as he walks over to him. "You're the new member, Akizuki-san, right?"

Takao nods his head. "I notice you and Murasaki-sensei were talking to each other. What is it about?"

"Oh, it's nothing really." Kitagawa smiled at Takao, much to his surprise. "It's just that I told Murasaki-sensei I was actually thinking of quitting the volleyball team."

"Seriously?" Takao asked.

"Yeah, I chose volleyball as my curriculum activity during my first few days here because I wanted to prove myself and my family that I'm actually capable of something." Kitagawa explained. "My older siblings manage to impress my parents with their own clubs and I wanted to do the same as soon as I enter high school. But little did I know that this year, we would all be working so hard to help Sawada-san end his senior year with the team on a high note. Not only did this make training so tough for me to handle, but also put a lot of pressure on me too. And this is all happening in my first year of high school! And during the qualifiers, I actually made quite a number of mistakes that did cause us precious points for our school. Luckily, Sawada and the other third years help our team bounce back in the last minute and win the matches for us. But it made me realize how naïve I was in choosing to join the volleyball team in the first place, and that's why I had thoughts of quitting and switching to a different curriculum activity."

"So what did Murasaki-sensei say to you?" Takao asked.

"She helped me change my mind." Kitagawa said. "I told her about it, but she told me that just because I think I'm weak doesn't mean I'm not valuable to the team at all. I realized that everyone in the club is already grateful towards me for wanting to join the team in the first place. And now we have a full 12-men team thanks to you. And yes, I did made mistakes during the qualifiers, but volleyball is not an individual sport. It's a team sport. We all share the responsibility together when one of us makes a mistake. And when we do, we just have to encourage each other not to be sorry, but to be better."

Takao stares at Kitagawa wordlessly for a moment before saying, "She's right actually. I experience a lot of hardships myself in my personal life. But instead of backing down, I chose to persevere. And I'm sure we can all do the same when it comes to playing sports too."

"I guess you're right too." Kitagawa said. "Akizuki-san, as newcomers to the team, let's vow to work together to make our team and school proud."

"Hai." Takao gave Kitagawa a small smirk before the two boys bump their fists together. "I'm surprised Murasaki-san can be so…friendly."

"And I'm surprised that you are too." Kitagawa smiled at Takao again. Just then, a silver car pulls up to the curb. The two boys turn to see the window lower to reveal a man in a business suit smiling at Kitagawa. After gesturing his son to get inside the vehicle, Kitagawa and Takao turn back to each other. "Well, I better get going now. It's nice talking to you, Akizuki-san."

"You're welcome." Takao said. He watched Kitagawa get inside the car. After closing the door, the car drives off and Takao walks down the pavement, making his way home. He couldn't help but smile as he contemplates what Kitagawa had said, especially with Hitomi.

"Every one of us has our own little quirks."

* * *

Takao enters the school's main building and makes his way to the gymnasium. Naturally because it's a Saturday, most of the school is quiet and devoid of its occupants. But the facility is open for all students and teachers who are members of the school's sports clubs.

While walking down the hallway, Takao sees Hitomi stepping out of the staffroom, dressed in her black tracksuit. Takao stops at his tracks when Hitomi turns her head to him.

"Good morning, Murasaki-sensei." Takao greeted.

"Good morning, Akizuki." Hitomi replied flatly to him. But just as she turns her body and is about to make her way to the gym, Takao spoke up again.

"Murasaki-sensei…" Hitomi turns back to the boy and notices the bold expression on his face. "I know you still have some lingering doubts about me. But I still want to do my part in being a valuable member to the team. Just like how you do your part in caring for all of us as our advisor."

For a brief moment, Hitomi simply stares back at Takao in silence. Then, she tilts her head to the side, gesturing the boy to follow her.

"Come. How about we walk our way to the gym together?" Hitomi asked.

Takao smiled at Hitomi as he accepts her offer. He walks over to her side and the two stroll their way through the school together.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later…**_

Shortly after entering Yukari's apartment, Yukari, Takao and Taiga sat down at the dining table and get ready to begin the tuition. Both teachers are surprised to see Takao already getting his literature and math textbooks out from his schoolbag and placing them on the table before they could take out their own.

Takao picks up his literature textbook and turns to Yukari. Yukari takes out her own literature textbook and smiled at her student as she asked, "Are you ready for your lesson? Remember, you have less than two months from now to prepare for the final."

Takao smiled back at his teacher and replied, "Let's do it, for I got someone to impress."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives for reviewing, Dreamaholics for favoriting and following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	6. The Fighting Spirit

_**The Fighting Spirit**_

Taiga and Yukari applauded to Takao as they sat in front of him at a table in Tai Feng's Chinese restaurant.

"Congratulations in not only passing your final, but also passing your literature as well. I'm so proud of you, Akizuki!" Yukari said, smiling at her student. Takao chuckled sheepishly as Matsumoto and Satou pat his back while sitting at his sides.

Earlier today in school, Takao and his class receive the results of their first final exam of the year. Much to Takao's surprise and delight, not only did he pass Japanese, Fine Arts and Mathematics, but he also finally passed his literature. He couldn't believe that for the first time since entering high school, he had passed four subjects in total. During recess, Takao immediately went to the staff room to inform Yukari and Taiga the good news, not caring about the teachers who question him why he enter without permission. Thankfully, Yukari and Taiga were there to defend him that it was them who allowed him to come in, and they were obviously ecstatic to learn that Takao has passed the final. They planned ahead on going to Tai Feng's restaurant to hold a celebratory dinner for Takao for having all of his hard work paid off. Takao even invited Satou and Matsumoto to have dinner with them, knowing that his best friends would want to celebrate with him for passing their exams as well.

"Come on, Takao. Don't be shy." Satou said encouragingly to him.

"Yeah, Satou and I are proud of you too for passing four subjects in total. You really have come a long way, my man." Matsumoto added.

Takao smiled to himself as he stares at the empty table for a moment, before he slightly tilts his head up to see Taiga eyeing at him with a smirk on her face. Takao yelps as he sits up straight.

"Come on Akizuki! Is that a smile I see on your face? Let all of us see it, will ya?" Taiga asked with a lopsided grin.

Takao glances at everyone around him before he looks back to his front and gave them a wide smile.

"There we go!" Taiga said as she and Yukari grin back at him. Matsumoto and Satou chuckled at their friend as Tai Feng walks over to their table, carrying a tray containing their food.

"Here you go! Five bowls of rice, youtiao and pork rib soup!" Tai Feng proclaimed as he gently places the tray of food onto the table. Satou and Matsumoto gaze at the food in awe as he places them onto the table. Much to Takao's surprise, Matsumoto suddenly wraps an arm around him.

"So this is where you and your tutors usually hang out before your lessons, eh? You really are one lucky guy." Matsumoto grins as he proceeds to ruffle Takao's hair.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Takao cried to Matsumoto in annoyance. Satou couldn't help but smile blissfully as she watches her friends. As Matsumoto releases Takao, Tai Feng had finished placing the food on the table and bows his head to everyone at the table.

"Enjoy your food, everyone." Tai Feng said to them as he puts away the now empty tray. He turns to Takao and winks an eye at him. "And congrats in passing your exams, kid."

"Arigatou." Takao smiled back at him as he strokes his hair back.

"Bie ke qi!" Tai Feng replied with a grin before turning around and walking away.

"Let's dig in, everyone!" Taiga cried as everyone at the table place their hands together.

"Itadakimasu!" They all cheered before grabbing their spoon and chopsticks and eat their dinner.

"Takao, even though we're glad to have passed the final, we still have the Prefectural tournament to prepare for." Matsumoto reminded his friend.

"Hai." Takao nods his head.

"Oh, speaking of, how's the volleyball club, Akizuki?" Taiga asked. "How is everyone over there? As well as…" She pouts as she leans her head towards Takao. "You know…"

"Oh Murasaki-sensei? Yup, everything's fine." Takao replied. "The first few weeks were tough for me, but I eventually got used to the training and I'm able to get along with the other players."

"That's great to hear. It's nice to make more friends in school." Yukari said.

"You should see him play, Yukino-sensei! Takao has become a surprisingly good player over the last few weeks. So much that Sasaki-san assigned him as an attacker." Matsumoto said to Yukari.

"Hai. I manage to get a glimpse of how Akizuki played during their training and he's amazing." Satou said.

"If what you say is true, then I look forward to watching both of you play at the tournament." Yukari said to Takao and Matsumoto. The two boys widen their eyes.

"You mean you'll watch us play? Thank you so much for your support, Yukino-sensei!" Takao said gratefully.

"Hey, don't forget me. I'll be there too to show you my support." Taiga said as she holds up her clenched fist.

Takao, Matsumoto, Satou and Yukari laugh for a moment before Takao bows his head to Taiga. "Thank you too, Fujimura-sensei." He said.

"You're welcome." Taiga replied with a grin before everyone continues eating their dinner, except Satou who gazes at Takao and smile.

' _I never knew you were so lively, Akizuki.'_ Satou thought to herself before looking back at her food and continues to eat.

* * *

 _ **Thirteen Days Later…**_

"Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku!"

Takao and the rest of Shinjuku High's volleyball team could hear their supporters chanting the name of their school as they wordlessly stood outside the arena while dressed in white jackets. Their captain, Jiro, elicited a sigh before he, Sasaki and Hitomi turn around to face the rest of the team.

"This is it, everyone." Jiro said, staring boldly at his teammates. "Our semi-final match against Nishitokyo is about to begin within a few minutes. I know all of you are unsure of what is going to happen out there. Honestly, so am I. But the last eight months has been some of the greatest I ever had in my three years of enrolling in Shinjuku High, and I owe it all to you. And no matter how we perform later, I am already proud of myself and everyone here."

"We won't let you down, Sawada-san." Matsumoto said as he, Takao, Kitagawa and the other players solemnly nod their heads.

"Arigatou, minna." Jiro gave a wan smile to his teammates.

"Alright, put your hands together." Sasaki said. Everyone including Hitomi step forward and stack their hands on top of each other. "Are you ready?!"

"HAI!" All the players yelled in response. "GO SHINJUKU!" Everyone raise their hands in the air before they turn to the arena and walk their way to the court. Their supporters stand up from their seats and cheered loudly as they see them making their entrance.

Takao and Matsumoto look up at the spectator stand above the court and spot Satou, Taiga, Yukari, Reimi and Shouta clapping and standing in the center row. The right side of the stand is filled with relatives of the volleyball team members and several students and teachers of Shinjuku High who have come to show their support for them. The students in the front row are holding up a large black banner in front of the railing that reads _'Let's go all the way, Shinjuku High School!'_

"Go Akizuki! Go Matsumoto!" Satou shouted with her hands at the sides of her mouth.

"Come on guys! Show them what you got!" Taiga yelled enthusiastically with her eyes wide as she pumps her fists into the air.

Yukari lowers her hands for a moment and smiles down at Takao. "Good luck out there!" She shouted to him. Takao flashes a smile at her before turning to Reimi and Shouta, who are both clapping their hands and smiling back at him. Takao holds back his tears of joy as he felt delighted knowing that his family is here to watch and support him.

Matsumoto also sees his parents and sister waving their hands at him at the stand. He grins and waves back at them before him and the rest of the team look back to the front and see their opponents entering the arena from the other side. The players are dressed in yellow jackets while their coach and advisor are wearing red tracksuits. The people at the left side of the spectator stand immediately stood up and cheered as soon as they notice them.

"Nishitokyo High…" Takao murmured. Matsumoto nods his head as they frown at the opposing team.

Sasaki, Jiro and Hitomi turn around to face the rest of the team again. "Alright guys, remember what we have done together for the last eight months. It's what got us this far." Sasaki said to Jiro and the players. Everyone nodded to their coach before unzipping their jackets, revealing the jerseys they have been wearing underneath. The team's libero, Wakisaka, wears a black jersey while Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro, Kitagawa and the other players wore white.

As all the spectators sat back down, Taiga lets out a nervous sigh. "I really hope they can win this match." She said as she clasps her hands together.

"Relax, Taiga. We must have faith in all of them." Yukari said to Taiga soothingly.

"I do, especially in Akizuki." Satou said to the teachers. As Taiga and Yukari turn to her, the girl continued, "Akizuki really has come a long way ever since we first entered high school. So I'm confident he is going to give everything he has got to help bring our school to the final."

"You seem to have a lot of high spirits for your friend." Taiga said to her.

"Hai." Satou replied. "Matsumoto and I still remember how troubled he was when we first saw him. He never talked to anyone for the entire first week of school and some of the students in our class started talking about him. That's when Matsumoto and I couldn't let him stay alone in school any longer, and we both decided to reach out to him. We're happy that as time went on, he became more socially open towards us, but he would still get himself into trouble every now and then. But Yukino-sensei…"

"What is it?" Yukari asked, looking back at her student questioningly.

"Ever since you became our literature teacher and Akizuki's tutor, Matsumoto and I are surprised to see how much he has changed. He finally passed his mathematics and literature in the final, he talked to the other students in class more often, and his situation with his family is even starting to improve. It's like…you are the person whom Akizuki has been looking for to help him get his life back on track. Something Matsumoto and I couldn't do before, and I'm very grateful for that."

Yukari's cheeks blushed as she contemplates what her student has said to her. She never would have imagined her presence in Shinjuku High had helped Takao so much.

"Yukino-sensei…" Satou gave her literature teacher a wide smile before bowing her head to her with gratitude. "Arigatou!"

Yukari smiled and bows her head back to Satou. "You're welcome, Satou-san." She responded. Taiga snickered as she nudges Yukari's arm.

"Come on Yukari-chan. You should be proud of yourself. I'm glad you have changed so much ever since you returned." Taiga said. Yukari chuckled in response as she strokes her hair.

The three look back at the volleyball court when the referee blows his whistle. Both teams stood at both ends of the court in horizontal rows and stare boldly at each other. The Nishitokyo High players have also removed their jackets, showing off their yellow jerseys while their libero wore orange. After both teams solemnly bow to each other, half of the players of each team walk over to the seats at the sides of the court while the remaining players step into the playing area and get in their positions.

"Akizuki and Matsumoto are in the starting lineup!" Taiga said enthusiastically as she, Yukari and Satou widen their eyes and smile.

"Go Takao!" Shouta shouted to his brother.

"You can do it!" Reimi added. She lowers her head and tightly clasps her hands together. Shouta turns his mother and tries to calm her down by placing his hand on her back.

As the team's attacker and middle blocker respectively, both Akizuki and Matsumoto stood at the front row and behind the net. They briefly bump their fists together before looking back at their opponents. As everyone present in the playing area prepare themselves, the referee blows his whistle as he stood at the middle of the left side of the court. Jiro, who stood behind his teammates and outside of the boundaries of the court, bounces the ball a few times before he strides forward and tosses it into the air. He slams his hand onto the ball, sending it flying over to the other side of the court and officially starting the match.

Nishitokyo High's libero immediately runs up to where the ball would land. As the ball lands on his clenched hands, he hits it into the air and passes it over to the setter. The setter passes the ball over to the right wing spiker who proceeds to jump into the air and slams the ball over to the other side.

Matsumoto and Kitagawa quickly jump up and raise their arms to block the ball, sending it falling back to Nishitokyo's side of the court. However, Nishitokyo High's libero runs up to the ball, slides through the floor and hits the ball into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to their attacker who jumps in the air and slams it to the other side of the court. The ball flew right past Matsumoto and Shinjuku's right wing spiker in incredible speed. But Jiro quickly runs up to the ball and hits it into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to Shinjuku's right wing spiker. He jumps up and slams the ball with his right hand and it swiftly flies over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo High's libero and setter run over to the ball, but it had landed on the floor. Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with cheers and applause.

"Good job, Kaneishi!" Jiro said to his team's right wing spiker. Kaneishi flashes a smirk at his captain before everyone in the team looks back at their opponents.

"We may have the first point, but don't get comfy!" Sasaki shouted to them.

When the referee blows the whistle, Nishitokyo High's setter tosses the ball into the air and slams it over to their attacker. Kaneishi jumps up and raises his arms. But to his surprise, Nishitokyo's attacker tosses the ball over to the right wing spiker instead who leaps into the air and slams the ball over to the other side.

"Wakisaka!" Jiro shouted to his team's libero.

"Hai!" Wakisaka responded as he kneels to the side and successfully hits the ball into the air with his right fist. Jiro runs up to the ball, jumps in the air and slams it over to the other side. But Nishitokyo High's middle blocker and left wing spiker jump up and raise their arms. Takao and Matsumoto jump up and try to hit the ball. But the ball landed at the hands of Nishitokyo High's middle blocker, who jumped higher than Matsumoto, and he successfully blocks it, sending it plummeting to the floor at Shinjuku's side of the court. Nishitokyo High's supporters cheered as their team scored their first point.

"Dammit!" Matsumoto cursed after he and Takao landed back on the floor.

"Don't worry. We can still fight back." Kaneishi assured Matsumoto as he and Takao place their hands on his back.

Takao turns back to their opponents with a determined scowl. "It's not over yet."

* * *

After twenty minutes, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo is now 19 to 24. Jiro tosses the ball into the air and slams it, sending it flying over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's right wing spiker jumps up and blocks the ball, sending it falling over to Shinjuku's side of the court. But Kitagawa quickly runs over, slides through the floor and successfully hits the ball into the air with his right fist.

"Good job, Kitagawa!" Jiro praised his teammate as the ball flies over to Kaneishi. Kaneishi jumps up and slams his hand on the ball, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side. But the libero quickly runs over to the ball and hits it with his left fist, sending it over to the right wing spiker. The right wing spiker slams the ball over to Matsumoto and Kaneishi, who both try to swing their right arms and deflect it. But the ball swiftly flew under their arms and hit the floor. The referee blows the whistle, signaling the end of the first set. The Nishitokyo High players cheer and praise each other while their supporters at the spectator stand applauded.

Takao, Matsumoto, Kaneishi, Jiro, Kitagawa and Wakisaka sigh in disappointment before they turn and walk over to Sasaki, Hitomi and their teammates and gather in a circle.

"I'm so sorry, guys. I failed to stop the ball." Kaneishi said to everyone regretfully.

"Don't blame yourself, Kaneishi. None of us could have stopped the ball from such a swift attack like that." Takao said to Kaneishi as he places his hand on his shoulder. Jiro smiled at Takao as he nods his head in agreement.

"Okay guys. I know we lost the first set, but all hope isn't gone. Let's bounce back in the next set and show them what we are truly made of." Jiro said to his teammates encouragingly.

"Hai!" Takao, Matsumoto and the other players responded before Jiro holds up his hand in front of them. Everyone stacks their hands on top of his before they shout and raise their arms into the air. "SHINJUKU, FIGHT BACK!"

Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with loud cheers again as they watch Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro, Kaneishi, Wakisaka and another player walk their way back into the court. Kitagawa sat with the other substitutes as Sasaki decides to replace him with another.

After getting back to his position, Takao looks up at the spectator stand and sees Yukari looking down on him. The teacher gave him an encouraging smile as she nods her head. A small grin appears his face before Takao looks back to his front with a serious scowl.

"Go Takao! You can do it!" Shouta shouted from his seat as he and Reimi watch the match intensively.

The referee blows the whistle and Nishitokyo High's setter tosses the ball into the air. He slams his hand on the ball and sends it flying to the other side of the court.

Wakisaka quickly runs over to the ball and hits it into the air. When the ball finds itself flying over to Kaneishi, the right wing spiker turns to Takao.

"Go!" Kaneishi shouted to him as he hits the ball with his clenched hands and passes it over to Takao.

Takao runs towards the net as the ball flies over to him. He leaps into the air, swings his hand back and slams the ball over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's middle blocker jumps up and tries to block it, but it was too late as the ball already flew above him before he raises his arms. Nishitokyo's libero kneels to the side and extends out his left arm in an attempt to hit the ball, but it had already flew past him and hits barely inside the playing area.

The referee blows his whistle and extends his arm out to Shinjuku High. Shinjuku High's supporters cheered loudly as Takao scores the first point of the second set for his school.

"Alright, Akizuki!" Taiga shouted ecstatically as she suddenly jolts up from her seat and gave a huge applause to Takao, not caring about the couple who is sitting behind her and tilting themselves to the side to try and get a view of the court in annoyance. Meanwhile, Satou laughs happily as she and Yukari clap their hands.

"Way a go, Akizuki!" Yukari cried with a huge smile on her face.

"That's my bro!" Shouta said joyfully as he and Reimi clap their hands as well.

"Well done, Takao." Reimi said with a small smile. Takao and Matsumoto gave each other a high-five before looking back to the front.

* * *

Another twenty minutes later, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo is now 24 to 23 respectively. Because they are required to win a set by two points, Shinjuku must score the next point if they wish to prevent the set from going overtime. Takao, Matsumoto, Wakisaka and Jiro remained on the court while Kaneishi and the left wing spiker have since been replaced by two other players.

With a determined scowl on his face, Jiro tosses the ball into the air, jumps up and slams it over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's setter quickly hits the ball into the air with his arms. It flies over to the libero who leaps into the air and slams the ball over to the other side. Matsumoto quickly jumps up and raises his arms, successfully blocking the ball.

As the ball falls, Nishitokyo's right wing spiker quickly runs over and hits it into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to Nishitokyo's attacker, who jumps up and delivers a powerful swing of his arm, slamming the ball over to the other side of the court.

Thankfully, Shinjuku High's left wing spiker quickly hits the ball with his arms and passes it over to the right wing spiker. The right wing spiker jumps up and slams his hand on the ball, passing it over to Takao.

As Nishitokyo's players see the ball flying over to Takao, their right wing spiker and middle blocker quickly go over to his side. But Takao quickly jumps into the air and slams the ball hard, sending it over to the other side with great speed. The middle blocker raises his arms, but the ball flew above his head and through the open area between his arms. The left wing spiker slides through the floor and tries to make contact with ball, but he narrowly misses as it lands on the floor just an inch away from his right fist. When the referee blows the whistle, signaling the end of the second set, Shinjuku High's supporters stood up from their seats and burst into thunderous cheers and applause.

"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!" Taiga squealed ecstatically with her eyes wide as she pumps her fists into the air.

"Well done, Akizuki!" Satou shouted happily to her friend.

"Great job!" Yukari shouted to him as she continues clapping.

Takao and Matsumoto yell happily and gave each other a high-five. The two turn and jog over to Sasaki, Hitomi and their teammates whom all huddle in a circle.

"Way a go, Akizuki! We have made our comeback thanks to you!" Kitagawa said to Takao.

"Well done." Wakisaka complimented Takao as he gave him a pat on his back.

"Heh, you're all welcome." Takao smiles at his teammates.

"You may have helped us won the second set, but don't get too self-absorbed over the moment." Hitomi said flatly to Takao with her arms folded.

"I know." Takao shrugged while his teammates laugh.

"Alright guys, this is it. For the third and final set, let's give them all we got!" Jiro said as he solemnly frowns at his teammates.

"Hai!" Takao and the other players shouted in response before Jiro extends out his hand. His teammates stack their hands on top on his and they all shouted in unison before raising their arms into the air. "SHINJUKU, ALL THE WAY!"

The spectators cheered once more when the players return back to the court and prepare for the third and final decisive set. Both Kaneishi and Kitagawa return back to the court along with Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro and Wakisaka. Takao briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before looking back up and gets himself into position.

"You can do it, guys!" Satou shouted to her school's players from her seat.

"Oh God, please win…" Taiga mumbled nervously as she placed her hands together and prayed to the heavens above.

"Fight all the way, Akizuki." Yukari said, smiling confidently as she looks down at Takao.

"Go Takao! You can do this!" Reimi shouted to her son with a worried frown. She turns to Shouta who places his hand on her thigh and gives her a reassuring smile that everything will be fine. Reimi smiles weakly at her older son as she places her hand on top of his.

The referee blows the whistle and Nishitokyo's setter tosses the ball into the air. He slams the ball over to the other side of the court. Jiro grits his teeth as he quickly runs over to the ball and hits it into the air with his clenched hands.

Takao, Matsumoto and Nishtokyo's middle blocker and right wing spiker all jump into the air at the same time. However, Nishitokyo's players jump higher than Takao and Matsumoto and they manage to hit the ball with their hands. The ball past through the open area between Takao and Matsumoto and it lands on the floor behind them. Nishitokyo High's supporters cheered as their school score the first point.

After grabbing the ball from the referee, Jiro turns to Takao and Matsumoto and yelled, "Don't worry guys! We'll be the ones who score next!" Both players nod their heads to their captain before looking back at their opponents.

When the whistle is blown, Jiro steps forward and tosses the ball into the air. He slams his hand on the ball with immense strength, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side of the court with incredible speed. Nishitokyo's libero reacted quickly by kneeling to the side and hits the ball into the air with his left fist. Nishitokyo's setter steps forward, leaps into the air and slams the ball, sending it flying back to Shinjuku's side.

As the ball flies past Matsumoto and Kaneishi, Jiro quickly runs forward, jumps in the air and slams the ball hard. Nishitokyo's middle blocker and attacker couldn't react in time as the ball already flew past them and hits the floor. Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with cheers as the referee blows the whistle.

* * *

The players of both teams continue to play and fight hard as the match goes on. But eventually, after another twenty minutes had pass, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo now comes down to 23 to 24 respectively. Nishitokyo only needs one more point to win the match. But if Shinjuku can score the next one, the match will go into overtime and they may still have a chance in winning. And knowing that this competition will be Jiro's last before graduating later this year, the Shinjuku High players do not wish to fail now. Currently, both teams huddle around their respective coaches and advisors in a last minute timeout requested by Sasaki.

The Shinjuku High players silently listen to their supporters who continue cheering and chanting from the spectator stand. Sasaki nods his head to his players.

"Do you hear that? Everyone in your school and families are counting on you. They believe in all of you! So get out there, and fight till your last ounce of strength!" Sasaki shouted.

"HAI!" The players all shouted in unison.

"Come on guys! We can do it!" Jiro extends out his hand.

His teammates stack their hands on top of his and shouted before throwing them into the air. "GO SHINJUKU!"

The spectators cheered louder as the players return back into the court. Hitomi watches Takao going back to his post with broad shoulders and a determined scowl on his face.

' _That boy…he really never gives up.'_ Hitomi thought to herself.

The referee passes the ball to Jiro and he closes his eyes. The captain takes a deep breath before he looks back up and walks forward. He throws the ball into the air, jumps up and slams his hand on it, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side of the court.

Nishitokyo's setter quickly hits the ball into the air with his right fist. The ball flies over to Nishitokyo's left wing spiker and he jumps into the air to slam it with his right hand. As the ball flies back to Shinjuku's side, Jiro turns to his team's left wing spiker. "Kitagawa!"

Kitagawa yells as he runs over and successfully hits the ball into the air with his clenched hands. The ball falls over to Kaneishi who hits it back into the air with his fingertips. The ball now flies over to Wakisaka who runs over and hits it with both fists. The ball flies over to Takao and Matsumoto.

As Takao jumps into the air, Nishitokyo's right wing spiker and middle blocker jump up as well. But to their shock, Takao flashes a smirk at them as he simply raises his arms into the air. Instead, it was Matsumoto who swings his arm vertically and slams the ball over to Nishitokyo's side.

However, Nishitokyo's left wing spiker reacted quickly by running forward and hitting the ball into the air with his right fist. Nishitokyo's libero runs forward and slams the ball with his right hand, sending it back to Shinjuku's side of the court.

Kaneishi responded by turning around, raise his hands and hits the ball over to Jiro. "Captain!" He shouted to him.

As the ball falls over to him, Jiro yells as he runs forward, leaps into the air and swings his arm. He slams the ball with all of his strength and sends it swiftly flying over to Nishitokyo's side.

However, to their surprise, Nishitokyo's setter kneels forward and successfully hits the ball back into the air with his arms. Shinjuku's players watch in shock as Nishitokyo's middle blocker jumps up, slams the ball with both hands and sends it falling over to Shinjuku's side. Wakisaka runs over and tires to hit it, but it was too late as the ball had landed before he slides through the floor and extends out his fists.

The referee blows the final whistle and extends his arm out to Nishitokyo's players. Nishitokyo High's supporters jolt up from their seats and burst into thunderous cheers and applause as their school won the match and head straight to the Prefectural final. Nishitokyo's players huddle around and celebrate their victory.

Meanwhile, Takao, Matsumoto, Kaneishi and Kitagawa fell to their knees in despair while Wakisaka slams his fist on the floor, realizing that they have lost the match. Takao turns his head to Jiro who just stood there with his head lowered. He could see the sad frown on his face, knowing that his time with the school's volleyball team had ended not on a high note, but with disappointment. Takao sighs heavily and lowers his head as they have failed to fulfill their captain's dream.

At the spectator stand, Taiga and Satou sigh disappointingly as they and Yukari sadly watch Takao, Matsumoto and the other players.

"Akizuki…" Yukari murmured in worry as she sees the disheartened look on Takao's face.

* * *

After changing back into their jackets and school pants, Takao and the Shinjuku High players walk out of the arena along with Sasaki and Hitomi. When they reach the edge of the stairway, they see all of their supporters and relatives standing at the bottom and giving them an ovation. Sasaki, Hitomi and the players smile at them before walking down the stairway. When they reach the bottom, Sasaki and Hitomi allow the players to interact with their friends and relatives before heading into their bus which is already parked at the side of the road and waiting for them.

"Matsumoto! Akizuki!" Satou cried as she runs over to Takao and Matsumoto.

"Satou." Matsumoto greeted her. "Thanks for coming to watch us today."

"You're welcome. And don't be disappointed. Both of you have tried your hardest today." Satou said encouragingly to her friends.

"Matsumoto!" A voice called out to him. Matsumoto turns and sees his parents and sister walking up to him.

"Give me a moment, will ya?" Matsumoto said to Takao and Satou. The two nod their heads before Matsumoto walks away to talk to his family. Meanwhile, the two turn and see Taiga and Yukari walking up to them.

"Yukino-sensei, Fujimura-sensei." Takao bows his head as he greeted them.

"Good job, Akizuki. You performed exceptionally well out there." Yukari said to him with a tender smile.

"Arigatou." Takao replied to her.

"Yeah, I agree!" Taiga said excitedly with her eyes wide. "I mean the way you slam that ball, jump in the air and move side to side, man! That was intense!" She stood up straight and swipes her hand across her eyes as she spoke in a melodramatic voice. "Step aside, Saori Kimura. Here comes the new future of Japan's volleyball, Takao Akizuki!"

As Taiga extends her hand out to Takao, the boy replied to her with a frown, "You know Kimura is a woman, right?"

"Just go along with it, boy." Taiga responded flatly. Takao sighs and tilts his head to the side while Yukari and Satou chortled.

"Takao!"

When he heard Shouta calling to him, Takao turns to the side and sees him and his mother walking up to him. Takao smiles at his family for a moment before turning to Yukari, Taiga and Satou. "Excuse me." He said to them. The three nod their heads as Takao walks over to his brother and mother.

Reimi immediately embraces Takao as he approached her. "I'm so proud of you, Takao." She said into his ear.

"Thanks mother. But we lost the match." Takao replied to her solemnly.

"Hey, it doesn't matter." Shouta said as Reimi backs away from her son. As Takao turns to him, Shouta gave him a warm smile and places his hand on his left shoulder. "You have already brought honor to us, and that's considered a victory."

Takao flashes a quick smile at his brother before turning his head to see Jiro nearby, listening to his parents. Although his parents gave admiring and encouraging comments to him, Takao notices the solemn frown on his captain's face. Takao sighs inwardly again as he gazes at him.

* * *

Later that day, Sasaki and Hitomi brought the team to a Japanese restaurant to have their lunch. They reserved the entire half of the restaurant to themselves and silently contemplate over what had happened earlier as they sat at three tables lined up together in a horizontal row and wait for their food and drinks.

After their food arrived and placed on their tables, Sasaki orders everyone to have a toast. They raise their glasses of green tea into the air and said in unison, "We all tried our best."

Everyone quietly took a sip of their tea before placing their cups back on the tables. Matsumoto turns to Jiro, who sat beside him and still had a solemn frown on his face. He turns away and looks down at the table with guilt and remorse.

"Sawada-senpai, we're sorry that we couldn't end your time with us on a high note." Matsumoto said sadly.

"It's okay."

Everyone widen their eyes and turn to Jiro in surprise when they notice the gleeful tone of his voice. A huge smile suddenly takes form on his face as he turns his head around to see his teammates.

"Even though we have lost the match, I am still very grateful to have played with all of you till the very end. I admire every one of you for your hard work and determination in trying to help me achieve my dream. You are all truly like brothers to me. And besides, our defeat only encourages me to remain strong and become better." Jiro holds up his left hand and curls it into a tight fist as he proclaimed to his teammates, "That's why I've decided that I'll continue playing volleyball when I enroll into university and move forward with my dream in becoming an athlete!"

There was silence among everyone at the table for a moment before Takao and Matsumoto clap their hands. Sasaki, Hitomi and the other players started clapping as well and they applauded to Jiro. The captain simply smiled at all of them as he could not express his thoughts in words.

"We wish you all the best, Sawada-senpai." Kitagawa said to him.

"And thank you so much for everything you have done for us." Matsumoto added.

"Likewise to all of you." Jiro said.

Hitomi smiles warmly at him before she looks back at everybody else and said, "Alright guys, don't let your food get cold now. Let's dig in!"

"HAI!" Takao and all the players responded in unison.

* * *

The next day, the students enter the main building of Shinjuku High School, which now has a large banner hang above its entrance that says, _"Thank you to our Men's Volleyball Team! You have made us proud!"_

As she placed herself between them, Satou smiles with glee and clings onto the arms of Takao and Matsumoto as the three friends walk down the hallway together.

"I am so proud to have two of the school's best volleyball players as my best friends." Satou said joyfully.

"Two of the best? Who else are there?" Matsumoto asked with a playful smirk.

Satou chuckled as Takao replied to Matsumoto, "Hey, don't get too cocky now."

"Ahem."

The three friends stop when they see Hitomi walking over to them with a stern frown. Satou releases her friends' arms and they bow down to her. "Good morning, Murasaki-sensei."

"Good morning." Hitomi bows back to them. "Mind if I talk to Akizuki for a moment?"

"Oh dear…" Matsumoto murmured as a frown appears on Takao's face.

"Well, see you later in class, Akizuki." Satou said as she waves her hand at him. Takao waves back to her before Satou and Matsumoto quietly walks past Hitomi and head to their classroom. Takao looks back at Hitomi as she folds her arms.

When he is ready for the worse, Takao lets out a heavy sigh and asked, "Alright. What is it now, sensei?"

In response, Hitomi lowers her arms and bows down to Takao. "Arigatou."

"Huh?" Takao widens his eyes in confusion. He couldn't believe what he heard. Of all the people Takao had known, is Hitomi Murasaki, the teacher who has long held suspicion towards him, actually thanking him?

Hitomi stood up and looks back at Takao with a warm smile. "Thank you for your contribution to the team. You did your part in helping us reach so far into the competition. And I owe you an apology as well. Ever since that incident last year, I always thought of you as someone who might lose control at any minute. But after passing your final and your participation in the Prefectural, you really have proven me wrong. So keep up the good work, Akizuki."

Takao stared blankly at Hitomi for a few moments as he tries to comprehend what he had heard from her. But eventually, a large smile finally began to take form on his face. Takao bows back to Hitomi and said to her with gratitude, "Arigatou, Murasaki-sensei."

Hitomi nods her head in response before a stern frown appears on her face once more. "Now then, don't you have class to attend to?" She asked flatly.

"Hai!" Takao quickly replied as he frowns back at her. Both of them walk past each other as they make their way to their respective rooms.

After taking a few steps, Takao turns his head and smiles at Hitomi for a brief moment before he looks back to the front and continues making his way to the classroom.

* * *

"Huh?! Do my ears deceive me? Did you say that Murasaki-san actually praised you?" Taiga asked incredulously as she, Takao and Yukari sat together at the dining table in Yukari's apartment later that night.

"Hai. With Murasaki-sensei thanking me and Sawada-senpai feeling inspired to continue his dream in becoming an athlete, it feels like even though we lost the tournament, we only think of the positives as we move forward." Takao said.

"That's right." Yukari said with a tender smile. Takao turns to his literature teacher and she continued, "Perhaps it's because the winner achieves something that will wither within time. But the loser achieves something that last forever…inspiration and experience." Takao nods his head in agreement.

"Now then, are you ready to start your lesson, Japan's Future?" Taiga asked Takao.

Takao turns to Taiga and replied with a smirk, "Bring it on, Tiger."

"D-d-don't call me that!" Taiga cried exasperatedly while Takao and Yukari laughed in response.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I want to thank Dreamaholics and LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	7. Cherish

_**Cherish**_

"Happy birthday, dear Reimi...Happy birthday to you!"

Reimi suppress her tears of joy as her sons stood by her sides and clap their hands after they have finished singing. Placed in front of her on the dining table was a simple chocolate cake, coated with whipped cream and decorated with strawberry slices, as well some candles inserted on top of it.

"Make a wish, mother." Takao said gently to Reimi.

Reimi clasps her hands together and closes her eyelids for a moment before she leans forward and blows out the candles. Her sons clap again before they pick up the presents that were placed on the dining chairs.

"For you, mother." Shouta said as he holds out his present to her.

"Arigatou." Reimi said softly as she takes the present from him and removes the wrapping. After placing the box on her lap, she opens it up and sees a sparkling sleeveless purple dress inside it. "It's so beautiful." She commented as she picks the dress up and examines it.

"I'm glad you think so. Rika was the one who helped me pick up which dress would suit you when we were out shopping together." Shouta said.

Reimi looks up at him and said, "Say thanks to Rika for me then."

"I will." Shouta smiled at his mother. Reimi places the dress back inside the box and puts it aside before she leans forward to give Shouta an embrace. Shouta places his chin on top of his mother's head as he wraps his arms around her.

After pulling themselves away from their hug, Reimi turns to Takao. "And what do you have for me?" She asked.

"I hope you'll like it." Takao said before holding out his own present to her.

Reimi takes the present from him and said, "Oh. It feels a bit heavy. Did you get me a statue?"

Takao laughs and shakes his head. "Nope. See for yourself."

"Okay." Reimi places Takao's present on her lap and unwrap it. As soon as she removes the lid from the box, she gasps in shock and realization when she discovers what was inside. It was a pair of purple high heel shoes, which brought a huge wave of memories come flooding inside her head. "This is…" She managed to utter.

"I made them myself." Takao said nervously as he felt unsure what thoughts are going through his mother's head right now. "It…may not be exact as the ones you got many years ago…but I hope you like them." Reimi remained silent as she continues gazing at her present. When he still didn't get a response from her, Takao began to panic. "I-I-I'm sorry if you feel hurt seeing this but-"

"Arigatou."

Takao widens his eyes as Reimi puts aside his present on the table and looks up at her son. He is surprised to see the warm smile taking form on her face.

"This is the most beautiful gift I've ever received in a long time." She said to him softly before wiping away the small tears of joy that were pooling in her eyes.

Takao smiled back at his mother as he felt relieved and overjoyed to see the blissful expression on her face. When Reimi spreads out her arms to him, Takao proceeds to step forward and embraces his mother. Reimi hugs him back for a moment before she turns to Shouta and extends her left arm out to him. Shouta smiled at her as he walks over and hugs his mother as well, and the family of three stayed together inside their warm embrace.

* * *

 _ **One month later…**_

Satou elicited a sigh as she and her friends walk down the school hallways together. "I can't believe its October already. Time flies by so fast." She said.

"Not to mention, the second finals are getting closer as we speak." Matsumoto said dishearteningly.

"Hey, we survived the second midterms, didn't we? As long as we stick together, I'm sure we can handle it." Takao said with a smirk. Satou and Matsumoto responded by looking back at him in surprise. They couldn't believe that of all people, the one who is trying to lift their spirits up would be someone who originally couldn't cope with his studies. Takao arches an eyebrow at his friends. "What?"

"Ohayo minna!"

Takao, Satou and Matsumoto stop at their tracks and turn to the front to see Taiga grinning and waving her hand at them.

"Good morning, Fujimura-sensei." The three students greeted in unison as they bow down to her.

Taiga chuckled at them as she places her hands behind her back. She proceeds to look around the hallways suspiciously, much to the confusion of Takao and his friends. The three students look at each other in bewilderment before Taiga turns her head back to them.

"Follow me to the rooftop!" Taiga whispered to them with a solemn frown.

"Ummm, okay." Takao replied to her. As Taiga whirled about and walks her way down the hallway, Takao and Satou momentarily turn to Matsumoto, who shrugs at them, before the three follow the teacher from behind.

* * *

After stepping into the rooftop, Taiga looks around again as Takao asked her, "Fujimura-sensei, what is going on here? And what do you need us for?"

When she made sure the coast is clear, Taiga turns back to the three students and asked, "We are now in the month of October, right?"

"Um, yeah." Matsumoto replied.

"And back at the dinner we had together after the first final, you three said that you had experience in cooking and baking, right?" Taiga asked.

"Yes, we did." Satou said.

"We said that Satou and I once baked a green tea cake together for my sister, didn't we?" Matsumoto asked.

"Seriously sensei, what is this all about?" Takao asked as he arches a brow.

"Well…" Taiga sheepishly turns her head away for a moment. Suddenly, she places her hands together in front of her face and begged as she bows down to the three students. "Please, I need your help!"

Takao, Matsumoto and Satou stare blankly at the teacher for a moment before the girl asked Taiga awkwardly, "W-what is it?"

As she stood up, Taiga looks back at the students with pleading eyes as she replied, "I want to make a special cake for Yukino to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our friendship."

Afterwards, Takao lets out a sigh and said to Taiga, "If that's what you want us to do, you could have just said so instead of acting strange in front of us."

"That's because I don't want anybody else, especially Yukino, to know about my plans! I want to give her a surprise on the day of our anniversary!" Taiga explained. The three students watch her as Taiga turns to the view of the sky through the tall metal fences at the edges of the rooftop. "Yukino is a very special person to me. She is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and I'm truly blessed to have someone like her as my friend. That's why for our upcoming anniversary, I want to bake a cake for her, to show how much I appreciate her for being my friend." Taiga turns back to the students and asked, "Will you help me?"

Takao stares at Taiga for a moment before a smile sweeps across his face. He nods his head and responded, "I'll like to help you, Fujimura-sensei. I know how it feels wanting to give something special to the one whom you care the most. So I'm happy to lend you a hand."

"Hai! Me too!" Satou nodded as well. "If this is for Yukino-sensei, I'll help out as well!"

"Um, I hate to break it to you guys, but isn't there something known as our final exam coming up later this month? How are we supposed to concentrate on our studies, bake our cake for Yukino, and celebrate their anniversary at the same time?" Matsumoto asked his friends.

"Alright, fine." Taiga places her hands at the sides of her hip. "If you help me out, I'll let you guys know what questions will be coming out on this year's math exams and teach you all how to solve them." This brought smiles to the faces of the three students.

"Then count me in!" Matsumoto said ecstatically.

"Arigatou, Fujimura-sensei!" Satou replied as she bows to her. Suddenly, the bell rings, causing Takao and his friends to panic.

"Oh no! We have to get to class right away!" Takao cried.

"Come on, let's go!" Matsumoto said in alarm as the three students whirl about and leave the rooftop.

"Wait! I'll go along with you to explain to your teacher in case you three are late!" Taiga cried as she runs after the three.

"The teacher of our first lesson of the day is Yukino-sensei!" Satou replied as they rush down the stairs.

"Huh?! Then forget it!" Taiga shouted.

"WHAT?!" The three students responded incredulously.

* * *

 _ **Six Days Later…**_

Upon arriving at the apartment building, Takao, Matsumoto and Satou head up to the floor and unit where Taiga lives. They soon find themselves standing in front of a wooden door and Matsumoto proceeds to press the doorbell.

"I'm coming!" They could hear Taiga's voice coming from the other side.

A few seconds later, they hear the door being unlocked and it swings open to reveal Taiga, dressed in an azure blue long-sleeved jacket with a yellow shirt with black horizontal stripes underneath and blue pants.

"Konnichiwa!" Taiga greeted them.

"Konnichiwa, Fujimura-sensei." The three friends replied as they bow their heads to her.

"Nah, no need to say that! We're not in school, you know? Just call me Taiga!" Taiga grins at them.

Takao whispers to Satou for a moment, before the girl said to the teacher, "Um, tiger?"

"Huh?! No!" Taiga cried exasperatedly, causing Satou to flinch and Takao to snicker.

"You're mean." Matsumoto said flatly to Takao.

Taiga groans and shakes her head before looking back at them. "Come on in." She gestures them to enter her home.

Takao and his friends take off their shoes and step inside her apartment. As soon as they enter, right beside them is a small kitchen that is separated from the entrance by a stretch of counters. The kitchen has a refrigerator, stove, sink, washing machine and a small stretch of counters that has a microwave oven and a boiler placed on top of it. Above the stove, oven and boiler are cabinets that are mounted on the wall. Right beside the kitchen is a small dining table with only two chairs. On the left side of the apartment and across the kitchen is the living area which consists of a sofa, a reclining chair, a coffee table and a flat-screen television placed on top of a drawer. Finally, at the other end of the apartment and besides the living area and kitchen are three wooden doors.

Takao smiled as he looks around Taiga's home. The place is smaller than Yukari's apartment and probably around the same size as his own. But it is still beautiful and looks like a very comfortable place to live in.

"Welcome to my home, guys. I hope you will enjoy your visit here." Taiga said to the three as she places her hands on the sides of her hip.

"Fuji…Taiga, would it be okay if I use your bathroom?" Matsumoto asked sheepishly. Takao sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Oh sure. It's the third door on the right." Taiga said, gesturing to where the bathroom is.

"Arigatou." Matsumoto said before rushing over to the said door.

After Matsumoto got inside, Takao looks back at Taiga and asked, "So if one of these doors leads to the bathroom, what are the other two?"

"The other two are bedrooms. I use one of them of course." Taiga replied.

"Your house has two bedrooms when you are the only one living here? Why?" Satou asked.

"Oh my brother used to live here, but he has since moved out." Taiga explained.

"Where is he now?" Takao asked.

"Living in Minato, and working as an administrative worker for some multi-billion dollar company over there." Taiga snorted and rolls her eyes. "Boooring!"

"Anyways, after Matsumoto is done, we'll get started right away." Takao said.

"I brought the cook book with me." Satou said as she pats on the bag she carries over her shoulder. "Did you buy the ingredients and materials I told you to get for our red velvet cake, Taiga?"

"Hai!" Taiga responded.

"Good!" Satou smiled cheerfully at her. "Then let's get to it!"

* * *

After Matsumoto comes out of the bathroom and Satou made sure he washed his hands, everyone begin working on their special cake for Miss Yukino. Throughout the rest of the day, while looking at her cook book, Satou supervises everyone in the kitchen, such as instructing them how to bake the cake, making sure Matsumoto adds the right amount of sugar and butter into the bowl, advising Takao not to stir the flour too fast and teaching Taiga what are the right ingredients to add into the mixture.

When they finished making the batter, Takao carefully pours it into a round-shaped baking pan. He puts it into the oven and Satou sets the right temperature and time. Taiga turns her timer to the exact time it takes to bake their cake before Satou starts the oven. After Taiga places the timer on the counter, everyone remove their plastic gloves and smile at each other.

"Alright. All we can do now is to wait for about 50 minutes and our cake will be done!" Satou said.

"I guess that means we can relax for now, right?" Taiga asked. Satou nods her head in response.

"Great!" Matsumoto said ecstatically as he looks at the clock hung above the television. "Taiga, can we watch your television? Pokémon: Sun and Moon is about to come up any minute!"

"Sure. Make yourselves at home." Taiga said.

"Alright! Come on, Satou!" Matsumoto said to Satou. The girl nodded before they rush over to the living area. As they sit down on the sofa, Matsumoto quickly grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns on the television. He quickly changes to the right channel and the two friends hoot as their favorite show appears on screen.

"Come on!" Satou said enthusiastically before she and Matsumoto sing the show's opening theme together.

Taiga laughs as she and Takao watch the two in amusement. "Those two really get along with each other very well, don't they?"

"Damn right." Takao agreed. "Just like you and Yukari." The two turn to each other and Taiga nods her head. "Taiga, how was Yukari like when you first met her?"

"Well…" Taiga cups her chin. "Just like you when we had our first dinner together."

"Seriously?" Takao asked puzzled.

Taiga nodded again. "Yukari was really shy when she first started working at Shinjuku High. She spent most of her life in the countryside after all, so she was very unfamiliar with the urban environment and lifestyle when she first arrived to Tokyo. Because she was mostly quiet during her first day of work, I decided to be the first person to introduce myself to her. Even though we hung out, she didn't talk to me much at first. But when I noticed she had a crush on someone in our school, I was the one who encouraged her to introduce herself to him. He turned out to be a very nice guy, and that's when Yukari started to become more socially open to us. Since then, Yukari formed a bond of friendship with me, and a romantic relationship with that guy."

"That's great. I didn't know she had a relationship with someone." Takao said.

Taiga sighs heavily. "Sadly, they have since broken up and the one she had a crush on doesn't work in our school anymore."

Takao widens his eyes and gapes his mouth open. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk too much about it because I didn't like what happened either. But basically, after a terrible incident that damaged Yukari's reputation as a teacher, that person has greatly distanced himself from her, which really hurt our feelings. Murasaki and I did everything we can to defend her, but nobody would stop showing disdain towards Yukari, to the point that she ultimately quit."

"She actually left the school?" Takao asked in surprise.

"Hai. She left Shinjuku High for three years. And during those three years, her former boyfriend left as well and married another woman. As for me…" Taiga paused for a moment as she lowers her head and strokes her hair. "I felt so lonely working in Shinjuku High during that time, because I missed her so much. Even though I had other friends, they were never the same as her. I was devastated that such a kind and innocent person like her would get herself into trouble that she didn't deserve. And I even feel guilty, wishing that as her friend, I could have done more to help her. I thought of her daily during those three years, wondering how she is doing and how she gets by every day after the incident."

Takao stares wordlessly at Taiga, realizing just how much she cared about Yukari. Yukari truly meant a lot to her and Taiga wanted nothing more than a close friend like her to fill her life up. Her absence from Shinjuku High during those three years had left a heavy heart inside her, and Takao knows exactly how it feels to struggle with the loss of someone close.

The two stood in awkward silence for a moment until Taiga looks back up at Takao with a blissful smile. "But I'm glad that she's back now. What happened to her in her previous job helped regain her strength and self-confidence again, and I'm grateful for that. And after her return, I swore to myself that I will not take things for granted and cherish my closest friend every single day in my life." She finished by flashing a grin at him.

Takao smiled back at her as he nods his head. "I agree that we should all treasure the people who are close to us. They may be with us now. But within time, they will leave us one day. And that's unfortunately a fate that all of us share."

"Hai." Taiga nodded in agreement before the two turn to Satou and Matsumoto who are both conversing with each other while watching the television. "Those two are close to you, right?"

"Yes, they are." Takao replied.

"Then you should cherish them too until the end of time." Taiga said.

"I will." Takao said before the two turn back to each other. "And even though you and Yukari are my teachers, I actually view the both of you as people who are close to me too."

"Arigatou!" Taiga said cheerfully. "That means a lot to me, and I'm sure Yukari will be happy to hear that from you too."

* * *

When the timer goes off, everyone immediately rush to the oven. Taiga puts on her oven gloves and opens it, letting out the hot air. The others back away and watch as Taiga carefully removes the cake from the oven and holds it up. Everyone smiled as they stare at their cake for a moment. They walk over to the dining table and place the cake on it. Takao goes to grab the bowl of buttercream which he and his friends made earlier from the fridge and bring it to the table. Everyone spend several minutes coating the buttercream and adding the red crumbs on the cake. When they are done, Satou made a wooden box and Taiga carefully places the cake inside it. Satou closes the box and bring it over to the fridge. Matsumoto opens the fridge for her and Satou places the box inside.

"I hope she'll love it." Taiga said with a wide smile.

"I'm sure she will." Takao said to her as Matsumoto closes the fridge and they all wait for the day of the anniversary.

* * *

 _ **Four Days Later…**_

"Seriously, what is going on here?" Yukari asked in bewilderment as Matsumoto and Satou carefully escort her up the stairway.

"Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough." Matsumoto replied.

When their literature class ended and their recess began, Matsumoto and Satou immediately walked up to Yukari and pleaded her to follow them to the school rooftop. Yukari is unsure why they would make such a request, but after seeing the pleading expressions on her students' faces, she reluctantly agreed. Ever since they walked out of the classroom, Matsumoto and Satou grab hold of Yukari's wrists and the latter holds up her hand in front of her eyes to cover her vision. Both students told Yukari never to peek as they escort her to the rooftop, which she agreed.

When Yukari heard Satou giggled, the teacher said, "Okay, you guys better give me a good explanation when we reach the top."

"Oh we will. Just a few more steps." Satou replied as she glances down to make sure Yukari is carefully walking up the steps. Satou slowly opens the door when they reach the top of the stairway and the three finally enter the rooftop. "Okay, we're here."

As they step forward, Matsumoto and Satou finally release their grip around Yukari's wrists and the girl lowers her hand from the teacher's eyes. When she regains her vision, Yukari's eyes widened as she stares at what is in front of her.

"SURPRISE!" Takao and Taiga both cried as the latter holds up the red velvet cake they made to Yukari.

"Happy friendship anniversary, Yukari-chan!" Taiga added as Matsumoto and Satou clap their hands.

Yukari stares blankly at the cake for a moment before she manages to laugh in response. She strokes her hair before walking towards Takao and Taiga to take a closer look at the cake meant for her.

"Taiga made this for you with our help. We hope you like it." Takao said to her. Yukari closes her eyes and wipes away her small tears of joy before looking up at Taiga.

"Arigatou. You remembered our anniversary." Yukari said to her friend.

"I'll always remember the day you first came to this school and became my friend." Taiga said.

"I was really shy and quiet back then, wasn't I?" Yukari asked sheepishly.

"Hai." Taiga nodded. "But eventually, I was able to get you to talk and smile."

Yukari chuckled and said to her, "You really are my best friend, Taiga."

"And I can't think of anyone who is a better friend than you." Taiga responded and the two teachers smile at each other for a moment.

"Shall we sit down together and have a bite?" Takao asked.

"Of course!" Yukari said, smiling at Takao. Everyone proceed to walk over to the bench and have their cake. Taiga uses a plastic knife to slice their cake and hands the first slice and a plastic fork to Yukari. Taiga, Takao, Matsumoto and Satou watch anxiously as Yukari closes her eyes and eats a piece of her slice. A few seconds later, Yukari widens her eyes as a huge smile plasters across her face. "Delicious!"

The others smile in relief, knowing that their cake is a success. "That's great!" Taiga said happily.

"Let me try it then!" Matsumoto said eagerly.

"Okay, hold your horses!" Taiga replied as she proceeds to make several more slices of their cake for herself and the students. Each of them took a slice and a fork and they join Yukari in eating the cake.

"Oh my gowsh, dis wis dewicious!" Taiga commented with her mouth full and her eyes wide.

"Taiga! Don't eat with your mouth full!" Yukari chided her friend.

Takao laughs and commented, "But I agree with Fujimura-sensei. It does taste really good."

Matsumoto and Satou nod their heads in agreement. Taiga swallows her food and turns to Yukari. The two teachers stare at each other for a brief moment before they burst out into joyful laughter.

Everyone spent the next twenty minutes eating their cake and chatting with each other. Taiga explains to Yukari how she and the students plan together in baking the cake to celebrate their anniversary, while Yukari in return share stories with Takao and his friends how her first few months working in Shinjuku High were like.

They eventually finish eating their cake and they dispose their plastic cutlery and paper plates into the bin. Taiga turns to the students and places her hands at the sides of her hip.

"Alright, a promise is a promise. Next week, from Monday to Friday, I want you three in Yukari's apartment where I'll tell you what to expect for your math test during the final." Taiga said to the three with a smirk.

"Hai!" Takao, Matsumoto and Satou replied in unison.

Taiga's eyes softened as her smirk now turns into a warm smile. "Also, thank you all so much for your help. I couldn't have done this without your help."

"You're welcome, Tai…Fujimura-sensei." Matsumoto said. Everyone present in the rooftop chuckled.

"We better get back to the classroom now. See you tomorrow!" Satou said as she and Matsumoto wave goodbye to Yukari and Taiga.

"Goodbye!" Taiga and Yukari both replied as they wave back at them.

As Matsumoto and Satou make their departure, Taiga places her hand on Yukari's shoulder and said, "Well, I should make my departure too. I got some work to do at the staff room. I'll see you later, Yukari!"

"See you later too. Thank you so much for the cake." Yukari said to her friend.

"Hey, don't just thank me. Thank Akizuki and his friends too. They helped out with our anniversary, ya know?" Taiga said.

"Of course." Yukari nodded.

Taiga smiled warmly at her friend. "I really enjoyed my break with you today." She said.

"So did I." Yukari smiled back at her. Taiga gave her friend a pat on her back before she turns to Takao. He and Taiga smile and nod to each other before the teacher leaves the rooftop and makes her way back to the staff room, leaving Takao and Yukari behind.

"Arigatou, Akizuki." Yukari said to Takao. "I had a great anniversary with Taiga today thanks to you and your friends."

"Nah, it was nothing." Takao said sheepishly as he scratches the back of his head for a moment. "I wanted to help out because of how close you and Taiga are together, and I really am glad our assistance paid off. Friends like her are to be treasured."

"Indeed." Yukari smiled at Takao. "Just like how a teacher treasures the students they teach."

"Huh?" Takao said puzzled.

Yukari chuckled for a moment before saying to Takao, "When I first met you on the first day of this school year, I still see you as an inexperienced student who has a lot to learn back then. But when I agreed to be your tutor, you really have evolved so much ever since. You've went on to pass both your mathematics and literature, becoming a member of the volleyball team, making more friends and even helping a fellow teacher out to deliver such a wonderful day for me. I really am proud of you for how far you have come."

Takao silently stares at Yukari for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Time sure flies, doesn't it?" He said to her.

"Hai. And yet we were able to spend it wisely." Yukari replied. Both the student and his teacher smile at each other before they turn to the door and make their way out of the rooftop together.

* * *

Takao heads straight home after his tuition with Yukari and Taiga. He took a warm shower and change into a simple set of clothes before heading into his room to wind down and rest. He lies down on his futon on the floor and got under the sheets.

As Takao stares up at the ceiling, he blows out another heavy sigh as he begins to contemplate what Yukari had said to him back in school, as well as reminiscing the moments he had with her and Taiga throughout the past year. Yukari is right. So many things have happened to him ever since his first day of his second school year. Back then, because of the issues he and his family had experienced which affected his studies and personal life, Takao thought that he will never get through high school. But ever since Yukari agreed to be his tutor along with her friend Taiga, his life had drastically changed for the better.

Takao remembered the moments Yukari had expressed her wisdom upon him, such as teaching him Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem and encouraging him to pursue his dream career of being a shoemaker. There were also all the moments he enjoyed spending time with Yukari such as all the dinners they had at Tai Feng's restaurant and the tuitions they had in her apartment. And there are also moments when he was simply happy to see Yukari express her support for him, such as the volleyball tournament and the celebratory dinners they had after the end of every exam season.

But Takao soon realized there was another reason why he enjoyed the lessons he had with Yukari. It was because of her genuine kindness. Every time he had a problem with the latest poem or story she had read to the class, she would always be there to help him out. And every time he had doubts or uncertainty about his future, she would always know what to say to lift his spirits up. Every conversation he had with Yukari had always brought warmth and reassurance to his troubled life, and he couldn't imagine what would have happen to him now without her presence.

Takao didn't want to believe it at first. He is just a student after all, and she is his teacher. He knew that it is impossible because of the large gap between their ages. But as time goes on, he finally accepted the fact. A fact that has been buried deep inside his heart for a while now. Not only has he formed a strong connection with Yukari, but also…

Takao's eyes softened as he uttered out the exact feelings he had for Yukari in words, "I think I've fallen for her."

* * *

 _ **Two Months Later…**_

It has been two months since the second final had ended and a month since the end of his second year of high school. Back on his first day, Takao never imagined he would be able to pass and survive his second year, but he did.

Takao and his friends pass their second final with flying colors, and it was all thanks to the help of Taiga and Yukari. Since the end of the school year, Takao continued taking care of his family while also keeping in touch with Matsumoto, Satou, Taiga and Yukari. But after realizing his feelings for Yukari, he couldn't help but want to spend more time with her and Taiga. He decided to call them up, asking if they would like to have a walk together in Shinjuku Gyo-en, which they both accept.

When the day arrived, Takao puts on his winter clothes, brought an umbrella with him and said goodbye to his brother and mother before walking out of his apartment. He made his way to Shinjuku Gyo-en by train and when he arrived there, he was delighted to see Yukari and Taiga waiting for him at the park's entrance.

The three enter together and look around in awe, admiring the view of the once lush greenery now covered in bland white snow and its lakes entirely frozen in ice. Takao glances at Yukari for a moment as they walk through the park together. He couldn't help but smile as he admires the sense of delight and wonder on his teacher's face. The three soon found an empty wooden shelter right beside a lake and decided to rest there. They sat down on the benches and Taiga elicits a heavy sigh as she leans back. Shortly after, Taiga lifts her head up and looks at Takao and Yukari who are sitting together at the other bench beside hers.

"Are you guys feeling hungry?" Taiga asked wearily.

"Kind of." Takao said while Yukari nods her head.

"I'll go see if there are any vending machines around here." Taiga said.

"Okay, be careful out there." Yukari said to her friend.

Taiga sits up straight and responded to her with a mock salute. "Yes ma'am!" She gets up from her bench and walks out of the shelter, leaving Takao and Yukari alone together.

Takao turns to Yukari and his lips slightly curve up into a small smile. But when Yukari turns her head and notices her student looking at her, Takao flinched and quickly turns his head away with his cheeks blushing. Yukari giggled and smiled at him in amusement. She turns her head and looks up at the ceiling.

"Admittedly, I usually hate the winter season." Yukari said.

"Huh? But your last name literally means 'snowy field'." Takao said dumbfounded as he looks back at her.

"Ironic, right?" Yukari shrugged and the two burst out into laughter. After they quiet down, Yukari smiled blissfully as she continued, "And yet, the presence of the people whom I cared, such as my mother and friends, help keeps me warm throughout this season."

Takao gave a solemn nod. "I think so too."

Yukari looks back at Takao and said, "By the way, I have some good news. I've been assigned to be the literature teacher of your class again in the next school year."

"Really? Does that mean our tuitions will continue next year as well?" Takao asked with his eyes widened. Yukari nodded, causing a huge smile to take form on Takao's face. "That's wonderful!" He said in delight.

"You sure sound excited." Yukari commented.

"Mainly because…" Takao paused for a moment as his cheeks blush again. "I never would have made it through the past school year if it wasn't for the help of you and Fujimura-sensei."

Yukari simply smiled at him. "I hope the warm days of spring will come soon." She said softly.

"And I hope for a bright future ahead of us." Takao said with his eyes softened.

For a few moments of peaceful silence, the two stare at each other with blissful smiles plastered across their faces. But eventually, it was interrupted by Taiga's enthusiastic yell. The two turn their heads back to the front to see the cheerful woman returning to the shelter while holding some chocolate bars and three cans of warm coffee.

Taiga walks over to the two and hands them each a chocolate bar and a can of coffee. Takao and Yukari smile at each other again for a brief moment before Taiga sits down and they all enjoy their break together.

' _Despite how old she is…'_ Takao thought as he tears open the wrapping of his chocolate bar. _'I still cannot help but be charmed by her…'_

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Dreamaholics and LayLay lives for reviewing, rosabell14 for favoriting and following, and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thank you everyone!**

Chapter revised on 26th April 2019


	8. Aizawa Part 1

_**Aizawa Part 1**_

 _ **8 Months Later…**_

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair sniffed as she slowly pushes the large wheels of her wheelchair through the crowded streets of Hachioji. The woman had no idea where she will go next and the only thing she had with her are the white shirt, blue jeans and a single black shoe she wore, the phone and wallet in her pockets, and the large sports bag she placed on her lap.

The woman took a hard gulp and wiped away the fresh tears that were forming in her tearstained eyes as she bitterly remembered what happened early this morning.

" _GET LOST! You are no longer welcomed in our household ANYMORE!"_

" _You're not my daughter! You are a witch!"_

" _Go away, skank. You are nothing to me."_

The woman stops at the middle of the pavement for a moment to shut her eyes and try to repress the horrible memory that came into her mind. Those were the exact scornful words said by her parents and brother after her father shoved her sports bag right at her face upon stepping out of the prison, which made her realize the dark reality that she is now in. She had no family or home to return to.

After barely regaining her composure, the woman looks back up and continues rolling her way to Hachioji Station. When she arrived there, she bought herself a ticket and hop on a rapid service train through the Chuo Line.

As she sat quietly at a far corner inside the train, riding on a seemingly aimless trip into the special wards of Tokyo, the woman contemplate to herself. Now that her family has disowned her, where will she go from here? Although she is finally freed from prison, she now holds a criminal record for the rest of her life. Who in the world would ever want to accept a person who has committed trespassing and theft of government property? Who can she turn to now? Her friends? No. Forget about it. Her ex-boyfriend turned out to be a monster, and Chihiro now distrusts her after what she had done to her. Is there anybody else she can think of? She has no grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. She couldn't remember anyone from her school years mainly because she only ever cared about herself and acted hostile towards everyone around her. She literally has no one left she can depend on.

What will she do now to get by? Find a new home to live in? With the amount of money her parents had given in, the best she can afford is probably some small and rundown apartment in the dark corners of Tokyo. And after what she had experienced in prison, the woman certainly doesn't want to live in that kind of environment again. How will she get more money then? Get a job? Now that she bears a criminal record, it can take months and even years to finally find a workplace that is willing to accept her. Not to mention, at her pitiful state, what job can she possibly perform?

As the woman looks down at the amputated part of her left leg where her foot was once there, tears once again flood in her eyes. She places her hands in front of them as she began to sob and whimper. She is completely alone, helpless and disabled, and all of this was her own fault. She had taken everything she had in the past for granted, and now it is time for her to face the harsh punishment for her actions.

There is absolutely nothing she can do about it.

When she felt that her bag had fallen off from her lap, the woman removes her hands to see it lying on the floor. After wiping away the tears from her eyes, the woman leans forward and uses every ounce of strength she had to pick up the bag. When she placed the bag back on her lap, the woman's eyes widen when she notices something through the small open area that was left unzipped at the side. It was the hard cover of a book, and as she narrows her eyes, she managed to make out the word 'Pearl' on it.

She proceeds to unzip the bag to reveal what it actually says. The full title of the book reads _'_ _ **The Pearl**_ _by John Steinbeck'_. Looking down on the book made the woman gasp as a strong memory came flooding back inside her head. She took the book out and flips open the cover to reveal a folded letter that she still kept inside it for the last two years. As she picks up the letter and places the book back inside her bag, she unfolds it to read the message written inside it.

' _Sometimes life hits you hard with a brick, but don't ever lose faith. Always stay strong and positive, and find the power to forgive yourself. I hope we'll see each other again someday._

 _Yukari Yukino.'_

"Yukino…" The woman managed to choke out as she stares at the letter for a seemingly long period of time.

When she puts away the letter back into her bag, the woman looks up at the train map displayed above the nearest pair of doors. She immediately sees a familiar name where she had spent most of youth at.

"Shinjuku…" She uttered.

When the train arrived at Shinjuku Station nearly five hours later, the woman took a gulp before the doors finally opened. She began pushing the wheels of her wheelchair and makes her way out of the station and towards her planned destination.

* * *

As Yukari stood behind the desk, Takao and the rest of the class get up from their seats and bow down.

"Good afternoon, Yukino-sensei." Everyone greeted her.

"Good afternoon everyone. Take your seats." Yukari replied. After the students sat back down, Yukari places her hands on the desk and said, "Now then, I heard from Kobayashi-san that he had handed you all your future career survey papers, am I right?"

Most of the students groan in response, causing Yukari to laugh cheerfully. "Don't worry guys. I'm sure all of you will eventually know how to answer your survey papers. Fortunately for me though, I was able to find what I want to do later in life during my time in high school."

Satou raises her hand and Yukari nodded to her. The student lowers her hand and asked, "So what made you want to become a teacher, Yukino-sensei?"

Yukari backs away from her desk and stood up straight. "Well, I realized that I wanted to become one through the lessons I had with my own literature teacher back in my high school. She was kind, helpful and genuinely passionate about her work. Watching her made me realize that I too want to encourage and aspire others to become better people in society. She was my main inspiration, and it's because of her, I discovered within myself that I would _love_ to become a teacher. My point is that you have to find what you love. Even if you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Because following what you love is what helps us to keep moving forward in life. Am I right?"

Takao smiles at her and nods his head along with the other students in class. "Hai." He said softly.

Yukari places her hands together and said to her class, "Now then, shall we begin today's lesson?"

* * *

When the final school bell rang, the students bid farewell to Miss Yukino before stepping out of the classroom and make their way out of the school. Takao, Matsumoto and Satou on the other hand went along with Yukari as they leave the classroom and walk down the school hallways together. They meet up with Taiga as they walk past the staffroom and the five make their way out of the school. When they step out of the main building, Matsumoto and Satou wave goodbye to the others.

"See you tomorrow!" Matsumoto said to Takao, Yukari and Taiga.

"And study hard for the midterms and finals, Akizuki!" Satou smirked at Takao as she holds up a clenched fist.

"I will." Takao smiles back at Satou while giving her a solemn nod. He and the teachers watch Matsumoto and Satou turn around and begin conversing with each other as they walk their way out through the school gates.

"Now then, shall we head out to our favorite restaurant before our tuition?" Yukari asked Takao and Taiga.

"Sure thing." Takao replied. "Even a tiger got to eat before teaching a cub."

"Not funny!" Taiga snapped at him, causing Takao to laugh and Yukari to pout at him.

* * *

The woman stops at the middle of the pavement and turns her head to the building at the other side of the road. It is Shinjuku High, her former high school. The woman is instantly filled with guilt and regret as she gazed upon the familiar building from her past. She vividly remembers many moments she made inside there, such as meeting her first crush and becoming friends with Chihiro for the first time. Back then, she didn't enjoy feeling trapped inside the building like a prisoner. But looking back now, staying there was like paradise compared to living at home. While her parents and brother are always cold towards her, the few friends she was able to make there on the other hand were at her side to comfort her. And even still, she treated them for granted and never did anything to repay them for the kindness they had shown to her.

As the students step out through the school gates, the woman spotted three girls laughing over their conversation as they turn and walk down the pavement. The woman pursed her lips as she relived the memory of her and Chihiro leaving the school in the same manner, except she would make her friend carry her bag for her while she is busy twirling her hair as she often does.

The woman lowers her head in remorse. How she wish she could go back in time and do the opposite, not treating the people who are willing to be her friends as tools, and never got herself into a relationship with the man who destroyed her life.

If only she could start over. If only she had anyone left who is willing to help her.

"Aizawa?"

The woman gasped upon hearing the voice. She looks up and to her shock, she sees a familiar woman with dark brown hair, dressed in a pink suit and dark grey pants, standing at the entrance of her former school along with two other people.

"Yukino…" Aizawa uttered as she immediately felt a strong sense of shame upon seeing the woman whom she had brought pain and misery upon.

As a huge smile appears on her face, Yukari looks around to make sure there aren't any oncoming vehicles before she rushes over to the other side of the road, leaving Takao and Taiga standing at the school's entrance in confusion.

Aizawa tried to turn and roll away, but she was quickly stopped when Yukari reached her and firmly places her hands on the handles of her wheelchair. Yukari smiled tenderly at her former student as she goes over to her side and kneels down to her level.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Aizawa. I didn't know you would come out of prison so soon." Yukari said softly to her. But her smile faded when she looks down and discovered that her left foot is missing. Yukari frowned as she remembers what her former boyfriend did to her. She looks back up at Aizawa and smiled again as she gently strokes her hair.

"I'm sure you must be hungry after staying in prison for so long. Why don't you join us for dinner?" Yukari asked. Aizawa simply nods her head in response, not looking at her former teacher as she still felt a sense of pained remorse inside her.

Yukari stood up, grabs the handles of her wheelchair and pushes her over to the other side of the road to regroup with Takao and Taiga.

"Akizuki, Taiga, I want you to meet Shouko Aizawa, a former student of mine." Yukari said as she placed Aizawa in front of them.

"Konnichiwa, Aizawa-san!" Taiga greeted Aizawa with a grin.

"Nice to meet you, Aizawa." Takao said as he bows to her.

"She'll be coming along with us. I asked her to join us for dinner which she agreed." Yukari said to them.

"That's great! I would love to know more about you!" Taiga said to Aizawa enthusiastically. "And I'm sure you're gonna love the food we'll be eating tonight!"

* * *

Yukari, Takao, Taiga and Aizawa later arrive at their usual spot in Tai Feng's restaurant. When Tai Feng noticed Yukari pushing Aizawa over, he removes a chair to allow the teacher to place her former student behind the table.

"Arigatou." Yukari thanked Tai Feng.

"Bie ke qi." Tai Feng smiled at her before looking at Aizawa. "Nice to see a new face here. Is she a friend of yours?"

"Well…" Aizawa tried to respond but Yukari quickly interrupted her.

"Yes, she is." Yukari said to Tai Feng as she sat down on her own chair, causing Aizawa to stare blankly at her.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you then. My name is Lin Tai Feng." Tai Feng introduced himself to Aizawa as he places his hands on the sides of his hip.

Aizawa turns back to him and nods her head. "H-hi, I'm S-Shouko Aizawa." She replied softly.

"We hope you will enjoy our food, Aizawa-san." Tai Feng smiled at her. After Takao and Taiga sat down at the table, the four look at their menus and give Tai Feng their orders before he heads to the kitchen.

About fifteen minutes later, Tai Feng returned to them as he carries a tray of food they have ordered and place them on the table.

"Enjoy your dinner, everyone." Tai Feng said to the four.

"Arigatou!" Taiga said to him gratefully. Tai Feng gave her a nod before he turns around and returns to the kitchen.

Everyone at the table look down at their food and Takao, Taiga and Yukari place their hands together. "Itadakimasu!" They cheered.

Shortly after, Aizawa also place her hands together and bows her head. "Itadakimasu." She said softly.

As everyone began eating their food, Aizawa picks up her spoon, scoop some soup and pours it into her rice. She scoops up some rice and proceeds to eat it. And a moment later, Aizawa began gorging on her rice.

Takao, Taiga and Yukari stop for a moment to watch Aizawa eating the food before her in such high speed. She finished eating her bowl of rice within less than a minute, and she proceeds to grab her bowl of youtiao afterwards.

"My, she sure has a big appetite." Taiga commented, looking rather amused as she watches Aizawa chows down on her youtiao.

"She has been in prison for nearly two years after all." Takao whispered to her.

Aizawa places her bowl down when she suddenly felt pain inside her body. As she pounds on her chest repeatedly, Yukari quickly grabs Aizawa's cup of water and holds it in front to her. Aizawa grabs the cup from her and gulps down her water. She places her empty cup down on the table and lets out a heavy sigh.

"I know you enjoy the food but you should really slow down, Aizawa." Yukari said to her.

Suddenly, Aizawa sniffed as tears began to form in her eyes. "Eating all t-this food…m-makes me regret…how much t-time…I've wasted in prison…a-and at school…" She whimpered.

"Aizawa…" Yukari uttered as her eyes softened.

Even after Aizawa wipes away the tears in her eyes, fresh new ones immediately form and took their place. "While I w-was in prison…I s-spent every day and night…r-r-reflecting over w-what I've done…And every now and then…I h-had nightmares over what…what happened that day…how he t-tortured me…and turn my life…into hell…I eventually told the prison doctors to p-please amputate my foot…as staring at it…only made me sick…I-If only…if only I hadn't…g-g-gotten angry that day…l-listened to you…and d-didn't got you f-f-fired…" Aizawa bites down on her lower lip as she is unable to hold back her tears any longer. "I still would be able to sleep warmly every night…"

Yukari, Takao and Taiga gasp when Aizawa suddenly slams her forehead against the table and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Aizawa!" Yukari cried as she grabs her former student's shoulders and pull her up. "Get a hold of yourself!" Aizawa abruptly wraps her arms around Yukari and wails as she cried onto her left shoulder.

"If only I had listened to you, none of this would ever happen to me!" Aizawa bawled unhappily as her tears spilled onto Yukari's suit. Yukari wraps her arms around her and pulls her into a tight embrace.

"It's okay Aizawa. Everything is going to be fine." Yukari reassured.

"No! No it's not! After what I've done…everything that I've lost…I can never get them back! Life will never be the same for me again!" Aizawa cried in inconsolable grief.

"Hey, come on Aizawa! Please, don't cry! Especially not in public!" Taiga tried her best to console the grieving woman, but to no avail.

"Yes Aizawa! Please listen to Yukino-sensei!" Takao added, although he is equally unsure as Taiga on how to calm her down.

"Aizawa please…" Yukari said as she rubs her back. But her pleas fell into deaf ears as Aizawa continues sobbing.

"Hey, is there someone crying in our restaurant?"

Everyone present at the table except Aizawa could hear Lenalee's voice. They turn their heads to see her and Tai Feng rush over to their table. As they stood beside them, Lenalee looks down at Aizawa, who continued crying onto Yukari's shoulder, and said calmly to her, "Ma'am, I'm sure you're feeling a lot of pain and sorrow right now because of something terrible that had happened to you, but please don't cry. How about I sing for you a song that my brother used to do whenever I feel down?"

Lenalee stands up and clears her throat before she sings calmly with a tender smile on her face.

 _dào tiān míng bù gǎn qù shuì_

 _dān xīn nǐ hàn liú jiá bèi_

 _kàn zhù nǐ kě ài dào liú lèi_

 _wàng jì le zì jǐ pí bèi_

As Lenalee continues singing, Yukari could hear Aizawa's sobs beginning to tone down although she continues to tremble. Yukari sighs as she continues to rub her back to comfort her.

 _bǎo bèi bǎo bèi ài nǐ yī bèi_

 _bù qiú nǐ yǒu shěn me zuò wèi_

 _jiàn kāng kuài lè gěi nǐ zāi péi_

 _zhǐ quí nǐ wèn xīn wú kuì_

As she listens to Lenalee's song, Aizawa finally manages to suppress her weeping. She pursed her lips and shuts her eyes, allowing her tears to trickle down her cheeks.

 _jiāng jiāo ér bào zài huái xīn suān nán le_

 _wèi niáng wǒ yǒu huà duì nǐ yún_

Both Taiga and Takao sigh in relief as they stare at Aizawa who has finally quiet down. Yukari rests her chin on Aizawa's head and closes her eyes as she held Aizawa in her warm embrace.

 _bǎo bèi bǎo bèi zǒu chū bǎo lěi_

 _nǐ yào zì jǐ xiǎo xīn fáng bèi_

* * *

When they finished eating their dinner, Yukari, Takao and Taiga thank Lenalee and Tai Feng for their help before leaving the restaurant with Aizawa.

"Thank you for the dinner, Yukino-san." Aizawa said to her dully as they step out.

"You're welcome." Yukari smiled at her as she clasps the handles of her wheelchair. "How about we'll go along with you on your way home?"

"But you don't understand. My family doesn't want me anymore. I don't have a home to go back to." Aizawa said hoarsely. Yukari sighs inwardly as she stares back at her. Although Aizawa was never the brightest student in school, Yukari doesn't believe that even she deserves a terrible fate like this.

"Well, if that's the case, how about I let you stay with me?" Taiga said to Aizawa who widens her eyes as she turns to her. "I have a spare room in my apartment which I can lend it to you."

"No. Fujimura-san, please. There's no need for you to do that." Aizawa said worriedly to her.

"Oh come on! It's okay!" Taiga places her hand on Aizawa's shoulder and gave the girl a cheerful grin. "I'll never hesitate to help someone who is in a desperate need for help."

"Go on, Aizawa. You can trust her." Yukari said. Aizawa turns to her former teacher who gave her a warm smile. Aizawa stares wordlessly at her for a moment before looking back at Taiga.

"Alright." She said softly as she nods her head.

* * *

When the four arrived at Shinjuku Station, Taiga waves goodbye to Yukari and Takao as she goes on her separate way while bringing Aizawa along with her. Yukari and Takao wave back at her and watch her depart along with Aizawa before they go the opposite direction and head into their own train to Yukari's apartment.

While sitting beside together in the train, Yukari explains to Takao, "Shouko Aizawa is a former student of mine, and also one of the most stubborn I ever had to deal with. And from what I've heard from her, she never got along with her parents and brother, and she would constantly have arguments with them. During her second year, she got into a relationship with an older male student whom I do not trust. So I told her to stay away from him as I felt he is a bad influence on her already unhealthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, when she told him about this, they came up with a plan together to destroy my reputation as a teacher, which eventually led me to quit."

Takao gasped in shock. "She was the one who got you out?"

Yukari nods her head. "I fell into depression afterwards and left Tokyo for the next three years. While I was working in another job, Aizawa and her best friend Chihiro, another former student of mine, realized that her former boyfriend is planning to commit a heist together. Being the naïve girl at the time, Aizawa willingly helped him, as well as Chihiro. Although they managed to pull off the heist successfully, Chihiro was left behind to get arrested by the police, allowing Aizawa and her former boyfriend to escape. Aizawa became furious with him for sacrificing her best friend, but that is where things turn for the worst for her. Her former boyfriend responded by knocking her out, tying her to a chair and torturing her, starting by using a drill to penetrate a hole through her left foot."

Takao widens his eyes and gapes his mouth open in horror. "So that's why-" He uttered and cuts himself short. "That is awful."

"Her former boyfriend continued torturing her, and lashing out all of his anger on her. But thankfully, they were found by the police in time. If they hadn't reached them sooner, Aizawa would have died from her injuries and the severe loss of blood. Both Aizawa and her former boyfriend were arrested for the heist, but of course she had a shorter sentence due to her condition, and was even released early for her good behavior in prison. But clearly even after her time there, she still never fully recovered from her mental scars." Yukari said.

Takao looks down at the floor and lets out a heavy sigh. "People who lack wisdom usually learn their lesson the hard way." He said.

"Indeed." Yukari agreed. Until they have reached their destination, the two continue sitting at their seats in pained silence.

* * *

After setting her down gently on her brother's bed, Taiga places the sheets over Aizawa.

"There you go. Feeling comfortable?" Taiga asked. Aizawa responded with a slight nod. Taiga chuckled as she gave a gentle pat on her right shoulder. She gestures to the cup of water placed on the drawer beside the bed. "Of course there's water right next to you. If you run out of them, feel free to call out to me for more."

"Okay." Aizawa replied before looking around the room. Although the table, chair and wardrobe are still placed where they are and remain perfectly intact, they are completely devoid of any items on or inside them. "This room used to belong to your brother?"

"Hai. We used to live together but he has since moved out. Now I have this whole place to myself." Taiga tittered.

"Do you and your brother get along well?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes, we do. Of course we still had our arguments with each other, acting like we are an old couple…" Taiga giggled at her joke. "But we still get along at the end of the day, because we're still family."

Aizawa sighs disappointingly. "I wish I could get along with my own brother."

Taiga smiled at her as she rubs Aizawa's hands placed above the sheets. "Hey, why don't you tell me everything about your family tomorrow morning, eh?" She asked.

"Sure." Aizawa replied.

"Goodnight Aizawa-san." Taiga said.

"Goodnight." Aizawa responded before Taiga turns around and heads to the doorway. But Aizawa spoke up again, causing her to stop. "And Fujimura-san?"

"Yes?" Taiga asked as she turns back to her.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Aizawa said as her eyes softened.

Taiga smiled warmly at her again and replied, "You're welcome."

With that, she turns around and closes the door behind her, and everything in the room went dark.

* * *

Taiga woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for Aizawa and herself. Afterwards, she woke Aizawa up, helped place her on her wheelchair and push her over to the dining table. As they eat their breakfast, Aizawa admits to Taiga about her family, telling her that her father had an affair with her biological mother when she was little. They broke up and her father remarried with another woman who became her stepmother. Her father, stepmother and even her brother were always cold towards her, mainly because she was the one who reveal to her former mother about the affair which led to the divorce. The only time her father and stepmother ever helped her was when she showed them the video she uploaded onto the Internet that damaged Yukari's image and reputation as a teacher, and it was them who pressured the school to fire her. But the pleasure she derived from all of it was short-lived as after Yukari left, the relations between Aizawa and her parents quickly turn sour again. Aizawa apologized to Taiga for what she did to her friend. To her surprise, Taiga easily forgives her as she felt it is best to not often dwell on what happened in the past, especially since Yukari is now back in Shinjuku High.

After breakfast, Taiga goes to work while Aizawa stayed at her home. Later at school, Taiga and Yukari discuss over what they should do for Aizawa. Yukari eventually came to the idea that because her former student couldn't get over her traumatic past after her amputation, she decided that it would be best if they can get a prosthetic foot to replace what she lost, to which Taiga agreed. They went to the principal's office to request for a day off so that they can spend more time with Aizawa tomorrow.

The following day, Yukari and Taiga took Aizawa to a hospital which has a large store that sells wheelchairs, crutches, prosthetic limbs and other devices for disabled people. A nurse who runs the store assists them by measuring Aizawa's amputated limb. Fifteen minutes later, the nurse returns to them after finding the perfect prosthetic foot to fit into Aizawa's limb.

Aizawa tries it on and felt relieved that the prosthetic foot fits perfectly. When the nurse told her how much it costs however, Aizawa immediately changes her mind in buying it. But to her shock, Yukari told the nurse that she will use her credit card to pay the foot for her. Aizawa pleads Yukari not to waste her precious money away for her sake, but her former teacher smiled and reassured her that she has no regrets in doing so, especially when she had earned so much from her previous job. Aizawa couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt as she realized how much Yukari truly cares for her. After buying the prosthetic foot, Yukari and Taiga help place Aizawa back on the wheelchair before leaving the store. Knowing that it will still take time for Aizawa to learn how to walk with a prosthetic limb, she will have to remain bounded to her wheelchair for now.

Later that evening, Yukari and Taiga took Aizawa to Shinjuku High where they meet up with Takao. The four travel to Shinjuku Station and make their way to Yukari's apartment to have their tuition. While in the train, Yukari, Taiga and Aizawa show Takao the prosthetic foot that they had bought. Takao told Aizawa that she is very fortunate to have Yukari and Taiga helping her in her desperate time of need.

When they arrive at Yukari's apartment, her mother welcomes Aizawa into their home before heading to the kitchen to cook something for everyone. Taiga clings onto Aizawa's arm as she tried to get up from her wheelchair while wearing her new prosthetic foot. The two slowly walk over to the couch while Yukari and Takao sat at the dining table to have their tuition. When they decide to take a break thirty minutes later, Yukari and Takao turn to Aizawa and Taiga who are both conversing with each other as they sat together on the couch.

"It's really nice to see her getting along with others again." Takao commented.

"Hai. After what happened to her, it's good to see her slowly taking steps in rebuilding her life." Yukari said. "No matter how bad we can be, we are all still human beings who desire nothing more than happiness. Aizawa is one of us too." Yukari notices the sad eyes on Aizawa's face as her former student speaks to Taiga, causing her to sigh inwardly. "I still wish we could do more for her though."

Takao stares wordlessly at Aizawa. The girl reminded him so much of his mother. How she too felt that she had lost everything after the divorce with her husband. Aizawa's world had drastically made a complete reversal after the horrific incident. She never imagined her former boyfriend would turn out to be a monster, and she is still deeply traumatized over what he did to her body. She had lost her friend, family and most certainly, the will to live. Now that the poor girl had lost everything that is precious to her, she couldn't help but think that the world she live in is now completely dark and empty-

Suddenly, Takao's eyes widen when an idea hatch inside his head. Of course. He can still remember what Matsumoto and Satou said to him when they reunite with each other on the first day of his second year. How they enjoyed their holidays in Bali and Gold Coast. And he also remembers how his mother lightened up a bit when they and Shouta traveled around Shinjuku as a family. Perhaps they can do the same for Aizawa as well.

"Yukino-sensei, I have an idea." Takao said as he and Yukari turn to each other.

"What is it?" Yukari asked.

"How about we take Aizawa along with us and go on a trip together?" Takao suggested.

"A trip? Seriously?" Yukari asked incredulously.

"Well, it doesn't have to be in another country." Takao chuckled. "But the girl is still going through dark times in her life right now. But maybe if we bring her out of the city, we might be able to show her just how beautiful the world that we lived in truly is."

Yukari silently contemplated Takao's suggestion for about a minute. Finally, she gets out her phone from her pocket and looks at the calendar. As a smile appears on her face, Yukari looks back at Takao and shows him the calendar on her phone.

"You know, Mountain Day is coming up. And it's on a Monday this year."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thank you!**

 **The song that Lenalee sings to Aizawa in this chapter is _'Ba Ma De Hua'_ by Jackie Chan.**


	9. Aizawa Part 2

_**Aizawa Part 2**_

Yukari stood in the middle of the foyer of Shinjuku Station with a yellow tote bag strapped over her left shoulder and a dark red luggage at her side, patiently waiting for her friends. For the last two days, Yukari wasted no time in packing her clothes and various items into her luggage as they prepare for their trip to Gotemba along with Aizawa. After Takao's tuition with Yukari and Taiga that night, the three discuss with Aizawa that they would like to go on a short trip together this weekend. Eventually, Yukari suggested travelling to the Gotemba, a peaceful city in the Shizuoka Prefecture which is not far from Tokyo, but well known for its lush nature and greenery due to its location. Taiga is initially concerned about bringing Takao along with them despite the midterms coming in less than two weeks, but Yukari assured her that they can give him extra lessons during the trip to make up for it.

After taking another glance of her watch, Yukari looks up and smiles in relief to see Takao walking over to her while carrying a gray tote bag and a black sports bag over his shoulders.

"Yukino-sensei!" Takao greeted as he approached her.

"Good morning, Akizuki." Yukari replied. As Takao stood in front of her, Yukari sees that her student is dressed in a light brown short-sleeved jacket with a simple white v-collar t-shirt underneath, dark grey pants and light brown shoes. "You look rather dashing outside of uniform."

"Are you saying the clothes I wore during winter last year make me look bad?" Takao arches a brow at her, causing Yukari to chuckle.

Takao examines the clothes that his teacher is currently wearing. She is dressed in a white hat with a dark red ribbon tied around it, a light yellow long-sleeved jacket with a sleeveless white blouse underneath, a dark green skirt that reach down to her knees and a pair of sandals with dark red ribbons. Takao continues to gaze wordlessly at her as he couldn't help but admit that his teacher looks very attractive in them.

Yukari looks back at him questioningly and asked, "Something wrong with me?"

"Huh? No, not at all." Takao snaps out of his thoughts and laughed hesitantly. "So, where's Taiga and Aizawa?"

"Hey! Don't just stand there and block our way! Can't you see there's a disabled person here?!"

Takao's question is immediately answered when he and Yukari heard her voice. They turn and see Taiga and Aizawa in the distance, with the former yelling at a couple who just stood in their way while looking down at their phones.

"Sorry." The man replied to Taiga hesitantly.

Aizawa, who is sitting in front of Taiga on her wheelchair and holding onto her sports bag placed on her lap, watch the man and his girlfriend hastily walk away. She sighs inwardly as she lowers her head, feeling embarrassed by Taiga's outburst towards them. _'Now I know how others feel about me when I did the same thing back then.'_

Taiga continues pushing Aizawa over to Yukari and Takao. The teacher grins and waves her hand enthusiastically at her friends as she and Aizawa approach them.

"Konichiwa Yukari-chan, Akizuki!" Taiga greeted them.

"Good morning, Fujimura." Takao replied as he bows his head. He takes a good look at the clothes Taiga and Aizawa are currently wearing. Taiga is basically dressed in the same clothes she wore on the day they bake Yukari's cake together, which consists of an azure blue long-sleeved jacket with a yellow shirt with black horizontal stripes underneath, blue pants and dark brown sandals. Aizawa on the other hand is dressed in a dark green long-sleeved jacket with a white shirt underneath, blue jeans and black sandals.

"Hello Taiga-chan!" Yukari said to her friend before looking down at Aizawa. "Hello Aizawa-san."

Aizawa looks up at her former teacher and gave a slight nod. "Hello Yukino." She greeted softly.

"How are you today?" Yukari asked.

"I'm fine." Aizawa simply said.

"That's good to know, because we're going on a trip together for the next few days, and I want all of us here to be happy." Yukari smiled at Aizawa before looking up at Takao and Taiga. "Isn't that right?"

"Haaaaiiii!" Taiga sang ecstatically as she raised her hand high.

"Yes, of course." Takao smiled at Yukari.

Yukari looks back at Aizawa and coaxed her warmly with a tender smile, "Give us a smile, please?" Aizawa stares at Yukari for a few seconds before she finally managed to curve her lips up into a weak smile. Yukari gave a gentle pat on her shoulder. "That's better." She looks back at Takao and Taiga and nods her head. "Let's get going."

* * *

The four later boarded a Romancecar in the Odakyu Odawara Line and walk over to their assigned seats at the second last passenger car of the train. While Yukari and Taiga place their luggage and bags in the compartments above them, Takao help place Aizawa at the small open area reserved for handicapped people at the front of the passenger car. After Takao securely parks her wheelchair at its place, he sat down on his seat right behind Aizawa. Yukari and Taiga sat together on their own seats at the other side of the car. A few minutes later, when all the passengers have sat down, the train started to move and begin making its departure from Shinjuku Station.

Yukari turns to Takao and said, "I'm still surprised that your mother and brother allow you to go with us."

"Oh they allow me to, as long as I buy back some gifts for them." Takao grinned. Aizawa couldn't help but smile at the fact that Takao's family is so supportive over his decision to travel with his teachers, which is a huge contrast compare to her own.

"So how do you guys want to pass the time?" Taiga asked everyone around her. "It's going to be a while before we reach Shin-Matsuda Station."

"I got some books to read." Yukari replied as she holds up her tote bag.

Takao took out his pencil box and sketchbook from his own tote bag and said to Taiga, "I'll spend the time away drawing."

"And I'll take a nap throughout the ride." Taiga said as she folds her arms and lies back on her seat.

"Seriously? You're really going to do nothing throughout the ride?" Yukari asked.

"I didn't bring anything with me to pass the time." Taiga pouts at Yukari.

"Well, in that case, why not switch seats with Takao and sit behind Aizawa? I'm sure she needs someone to talk to throughout the ride." Yukari suggested. Takao and Taiga widen their eyes as they turn each other. The latter momentarily glances at Aizawa who look equally puzzled as them. Taiga looks back at Yukari and shrugged.

"Sure why not?" Taiga said with a lopsided smirk. As Taiga gets up, Yukari turns to Takao and pats her hand on the now vacant seat. Takao smiled sheepishly at Yukari for a moment before he gets up from his seat as well and goes over to her.

After switching seats with Taiga, Takao looks up at Yukari and they both smile at each other. "I'm glad we're going on this trip together, Akizuki." Yukari said to him.

"Me too. This is the first time I'm stepping out of Tokyo Metropolis in a long while. The last time I ever remembered travelling to another prefecture was like…eleven years ago." Takao lowers his head and sighs. "Back when my parents were still together."

The two remain silent for a brief moment before Yukari decides to change the subject to cheer her student up. "So, how are your drawings now? I hope you are still pursuing your dream career." Yukari said.

Takao perked up and replied, "You want to take a look at them?" Yukari nods her head and Takao immediately opens up his sketchbook to show her his drawings. A huge smile appears on the teacher's face as she sees more of her students' designs.

"They all look amazing." Yukari commented.

"Thanks." Takao said.

"I still remember you saying to me that you were terrible at designing them. But I really think you have come a long way since." Yukari said as she continues looking at the various shoe designs in his sketchbook.

"It's all thanks to that book you bought for me." Takao said.

Yukari looks up at her student and smiles at him for a moment. "Have you thought of making one of these designs yet?" She asked.

"Well, I did make one for my mother last year as a birthday present, and she loved it." Takao said.

"So you are able to make them as well! That's amazing!" Yukari said in amazement.

"Yup, I can." Takao nodded to Yukari before he rubs the back of his head and shifts his eyes away from her. "Now, I'm planning to make another pair, but I can't decide what it will be yet."

"How about a pair of sports shoes for yourself? You are in the volleyball team after all." Yukari suggested.

Takao elicits a sigh. "Sorry but I'll just stick to normal shoes. Sports shoes are harder and expensive to design." He responded.

"Right, never mind then." Yukari chuckled. "How about a normal pair of shoes for yourself or your brother?"

"I already did." Takao looks back at Yukari and lowers his head, gesturing her to look down at the shoes he is currently wearing. Yukari widens her eyes and stares at them in amazement.

"Really? Those shoes are handmade? You never told me!" Yukari said.

"You didn't ask." Takao said. They both laugh as Yukari gave a gentle nudge to his left arm with her right elbow. When they both quiet down, Takao sighs again as his cheeks blush. He holds up his sketchbook in front of Yukari and asked, "Actually, how about you tell me which shoe design looks the nicest to you?"

Yukari looks back at Takao questioningly for moment before she examines the sketches in front of her. She couldn't help but admire all of them. Every sketch Takao drew on his book looks appealing and fascinating to her eyes. She can certainly tell her student had drawn each of them with a lot of dedicated thought and imagination.

But eventually, one design does stick out to her the most. It was a pair of ladies' shoes that is colored pink at the front and middle and orange at the back, and at the center of them were laces with green lilies at its ends. Yukari silently gazes at it for a few moments as the design looks very alluring to her. It is cute, beautiful and unlike any other high heel shoe that she has ever seen before. She silently compares the sketch with the other designs Takao had drew, contemplating if that is truly the best of them all. But eventually, a smile takes form on her face as she places her finger on the design she has chosen.

Takao looks back at his sketchbook and sees the design Yukari had picked. "Are you sure?" Takao asked as he places his finger on the selected design.

"Positive." Yukari responded with a nod.

Takao smiles back at his teacher. "Very well."

"So, if you are going to make that, who will you make it for? Your mother?" Yukari inquired.

"Well…I was wondering…" Takao struggled to say.

"What is it?" Yukari asked in confusion.

Takao tried to say, but he closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Never mind."

"Okay." Yukari said.

Takao looks back at Yukari and smiled, "Thanks for your opinion. I'll take it to great consideration."

"You're welcome." Yukari replied before she takes a book out from her bag and continue reading where she had left off.

Takao sighs inwardly in disappointment. In reality, he was hoping that he could ask Yukari if she can allow him to measure her feet. Ever since the day Takao realized his feelings for her, he made the decision that the next pair of ladies' shoes he is going to design would be for… _her_. Yukari. The woman whom he had fallen for.

However, Takao knows that unfortunately, right now, it is just not the time.

' _No.'_ He thought somberly. _'Not right now.'_

Aizawa stare at Takao and Yukari from where she sat as she had been watching them in silence the entire time. Taiga leans over to Aizawa from behind and gave a gentle pat on her shoulder.

"Hey there. What's with the long face?" Taiga asked Aizawa with a smirk.

Aizawa turns to Taiga and replied, "Both Yukino and Akizuki really get along well, don't they?"

"Hai." Taiga said before she and Aizawa look back at the two. "Despite being a teacher and a student, they have also since become friends with each other. I could still remember that it all started when he joined me and Yukari for dinner at our favorite ramen restaurant. It was where he requested Yukari to be his tutor because he was weak with so many subjects at the time, including literature and math. I was objective to his request at first, but Yukari, being the kind soul that she is, actually thought about it, and she eventually accepts it. And because she is my friend, I decided to join in and be Akizuki's tutor as well. As time goes on, I watch these two became more casual towards each other with every lesson we had together. It's as if despite their ages, they cherish every moment and meeting they had." Taiga chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, it's like they not only use every lesson they had together to study, but also to become closer to each other."

Aizawa went silent again as she contemplated Taiga's words. _'I wish I could have cherished my friendships as well…'_

* * *

The four pass the time doing their own things as they continue travelling on the train. Yukari continues reading her novel while Takao drew more sketches of shoes and human feet on his sketchbook before he eventually puts it away to take a nap. Taiga and Aizawa spend some time conversing with each other until both of them eventually fell asleep as well.

An hour after they have left Shinjuku, Yukari momentarily turns her head away from her novel and to the glass window beside her. Her eyes widen and a huge smile appears on her face as she realized that they have finally left the urban areas of Tokyo Metropolis and Kawasaki and are now travelling through the beautiful countryside of Kanagawa Prefecture. She quickly turns to Takao and nudges his left shoulder, rudely waking him up. "Akizuki! Look!"

Takao groans as he groggily wakes up from his sleep. He slowly turns to Yukari who gestures him to look outside. Takao leans over to the window and his eyes widened.

"It's amazing!" He commented.

Yukari and Takao get up from their seats and walk over to Taiga and Aizawa. Takao nudges them on their shoulders and cried, "Fujimura, Aizawa, wake up! Look outside!"

Taiga moans as she and Aizawa slowly woke up. Their eyes widen when they look through the glass windows beside them to see what is currently outside of the train. Taiga gasps as her jaw plummeted. She presses her nose against the window as she takes a good look at the gorgeous terrain that they are passing through. The entire area they are currently in is filled with trees of all shapes and sizes, and there are streams flowing through the forest as well. There are also some bushes filled with beautiful flowers of various colors grown along the sides of the railway tracks. Takao, Taiga and Aizawa stare through the windows in awe as they never been in such an area like this before.

"Wah! Sugoi ne!" Taiga exclaimed.

"It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?" Yukari asked Aizawa as she lowers herself to her level and places her hands on her shoulders.

Aizawa continues gazing at the terrain outside as she replied to her former teacher. "Hai."

* * *

Nearly another hour later, the train finally arrived at Shin-Matsuda station. Yukari, Taiga and Takao quickly grab their bags and luggage from the compartments. They made sure they didn't leave anything behind on their seats before they grab Aizawa and leave the train together.

After leaving the station, the four cross through a small street and a few roads before they reach Matsuda Station. Over there, they took another train on the Gotemba line that will take them to their destination. Finally, after another thirty-five minutes of travelling, the four arrived at the small and peaceful city of Gotemba.

When they step out of the station with their bags and luggage, the four look around the city in astonishment. Unlike Tokyo, the city of Gotemba consists of small buildings with no skyscrapers. There are little people walking through the streets, making it feel less crowded and denser than larger cities. Beyond the outskirts of the city are grassy plains and hills in a drier climate than Tokyo. But what really amazes them the most is the stunning view of Mount Fuji in the distance. The four couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the sight of the famous mountain. Despite hearing many stories and seeing several pictures of Mount Fuji, they have never seen it this up close and personal before in their lives.

"How fitting it is for us to celebrate Mountain Day by visiting Mount Fuji itself!" Taiga said enthusiastically.

"That's right." Takao agreed as he stood behind Aizawa while holding onto the handles of her wheelchair.

"Let's go check into our hotel right away before we can look around the area together." Yukari advised everyone.

"Hai!" Taiga shouted joyfully as she pumps her fist into the air.

* * *

The four soon located the hotel where they will be staying for the next two nights. It is a five storey tall building with a few parking spaces outside and a small eatery located at the ground floor and right next to its entrance.

They entered the hotel, head over to the receptionist and Yukari paid for the two rooms she had booked beforehand. Afterwards, the four head up to the top floor and go over to one of their rooms.

Yukari places the card on the lock. When she heard a click, she pushes down the handle and opens the door. The four step inside the room and look around in awe. The room is small with two separate beds and a wooden table placed between them. There is a flat screen television hung on the wall and a bathroom located beside the entrance. Finally, there is a small balcony with a chair and table, separated from the rest of the room by a sliding door.

Yukari pushes Aizawa over to the balcony with Taiga and Takao following them from behind. Yukari carefully slides the door open and pushes the chair aside before allowing everyone to enter the balcony. Everyone smile as they once again lay their eyes on Mount Fuji in the distance.

Takao proceeds to use his phone and take a few photos of the mountain while Taiga sighs blissfully and turns to Yukari, "Life is good sometimes, isn't it?"

Yukari laughed softly in response. She looks down at Aizawa and notices the dull expression on her face. Feeling concerned, Yukari leans down to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Aizawa briefly glances at Yukari before looking back at the view of Mount Fuji. "Nothing, it's just…" She paused to let out a sad sigh. "I know you guys are trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it. But I still need some time alone."

Takao, Taiga and Yukari briefly stare at her before the latter gestures her friends to leave the room for a moment.

"Alright, let us know if you need anything." Takao whispered to her. Yukari nods her head to him before Takao and Taiga turn around, step out of the balcony and close the sliding door behind them. Yukari watch the two leave the room and head over to the other that they have booked.

Yukari walks over to Aizawa's side and kneels down to her level. "Do you want to share with me what is going through your head?" She asked politely.

Aizawa turns to Yukari and replied, "I'm glad that you and Fujimura have forgiven me. And yet…" She looks down at her chest and places her hand on where her heart is. "I still cannot forgive myself. I have brought so much emotional pain and misery upon the lives of the people around me, and even my own. How can I ever trust myself again after what I've done?"

"You're right. It is hard to forgive yourself." Yukari said and Aizawa looks back at her. "It does take time for us to acknowledge the mistakes we've made and move on from it. But as painful and uncomfortable as it is, there are things in life that are worth enduring. And being able to endure that pain is what helps us become better and stronger people in society. You need to stop thinking negative about yourself, and openly embrace the sense of joy and self-compassion again. Only then will you be able to take the positive steps in starting all over. And until you finally have the strength to forgive yourself, I'll always be by your side."

Aizawa and Yukari stare at each other in a moment of silence. The former looks down on Yukari's hand planted on the armrest of her wheelchair and she places her own hand on top of it. She looks back up at Yukari and said barely above a whisper, "Don't leave me."

Yukari places her other hand on top of Aizawa's and strokes it gently. "Of course I won't." She responded.

* * *

After Yukari and the others made sure they have brought the necessary belongings with them, they step out of their rooms and head down to the bottom floor of the hotel. They walk out of the building and begin their exploration around Gotemba.

They first visited the Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park and head over to the city's famous white pagoda. The four look around the temple grounds and marvel at the various statues and the lush greenery surrounding the area.

When they arrived at the stairway to the pagoda, Takao lends his phone to a tourist and asked him to take a picture for them. The four stood in front of the stairway and the tourist backs away to get a good shot of them with the large white pagoda in the background. As they all look to their front, a small smile manages to take form on Aizawa's face. She smiled along with Takao, Yukari and Taiga who stood behind her. A few seconds later, the tourist takes a snapshot of them with Takao's phone.

After thanking the tourist and getting his phone back, Takao regroups with Yukari, Taiga and Aizawa who are all facing the golden Buddha statue placed inside the pagoda. As they stood at the bottom of the stairs, the four close their eyes, place their hands together and bow respectfully to the statue.

* * *

After leaving Heiwa Park, the four now head to the Gotemba Premium Outlets which is the city's famous shopping area and the nearest mall to Mount Fuji.

The four first head over to a food stand and bought four crepes with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. Aizawa briefly watch the three enjoy eating their food before she looks down at her own crepe in her hands. She closes her eyes and takes a bite of her crepe. Shortly after, Aizawa's eyes open as she realized how delicious the food is. Yukari, Takao and Taiga take pleasure seeing the amused expression on Aizawa's face as it is the happiest they have seen of her since her release from prison. Taiga tells Aizawa that she has some ice cream plastered around her lips. Aizawa wipes away the cream from above her upper lip and looks back up at the others before they all laugh cheerfully together.

When they finish eating their food, the four proceed to one of the clothing stores and begin their shopping. Taiga stood at one of the racks with Aizawa and helped her pick various shirts, shorts and pants that she might be interested in.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the store, Takao is looking through several shirts and dresses, trying to find which of them would be perfect gifts for his brother and mother. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Yukari calling out to him. He turns his head to the side to see Yukari holding a long white skirt with red flower patterns up to her figure as she smiled at him. Takao chuckled in response, but admittedly, he does think the skirt looks beautiful on her.

Thirty minutes later, they bought their clothes and head over to a shoe store. Takao looks through the various sneakers and sports shoes that are displayed at the shelves with a huge smile on his face, gushing over them as he examines each pair. When Yukari and Taiga call out to him, he turns around and sees them gesturing him to come over as they kneel in front of Aizawa with several pairs of shoes and sandals lying on the floor.

Takao walks over to them and kneels in front of Aizawa as Yukari and Taiga inquire him which shoes and sandals that they have selected would look good on her. Takao cups his chin as he inspects the footwear that Yukari and Taiga hold up to his face. The two teachers enjoy listening to Takao as he rambles about the size, quality and materials of the shoes and sandals that they show him. In the end, Takao helped the women picked two pairs of sneakers and another two pairs of sandals that are suitable for Aizawa. Takao volunteered to put one of these sneakers onto Aizawa's feet, and he, Yukari and Taiga encourage her to get up from her wheelchair and try them out.

Aizawa manages to get herself up to her feet. She looks down at her new pair of sneakers in awe. She couldn't help but feel awkward as she hadn't worn a decent pair of shoes for the last two years. But at the same time, she also felt an overwhelming sense of joy as a wan smile slowly takes form on her face.

After buying their shoes and a few pairs of socks, the four finally head over to a gift and antique shop. Takao decides to buy a Daruma doll and a snow globe with a miniature sculpture of Mount Fuji inside it while Yukari bought a pair of kokeshi dolls, both of a different gender. They turn their heads to a corner of the shop where Taiga holds up a teddy bear in front of Aizawa. She sang a song to Aizawa as she sways the bear side to the side before she ends by placing it gently onto her lap. Aizawa grabs the bear and thank Taiga with a blissful smile. Takao and Yukari laugh softly at the sight of it.

The sun set down from the sky by the time they bought their gifts and step out of the store. They decided to call it a day and return back to their hotel. They had their dinner at the hotel's restaurant and spend their time eating together and conversing with each other. When they are done, they pay the bill and return back up to one of their rooms.

The four stayed together as Yukari and Taiga gave their tuition to Takao. Aizawa sat on one of the beds and watch them as Takao studied. When the lesson is over, Yukari and Taiga decide to stay together in the room while Takao and Aizawa leave and take the other. After settling down in their own room, both Takao and Aizawa took turns to take a bath and they change into a normal shirt and shorts. Takao helped Aizawa remove her prosthetic foot, get her off of the wheelchair and lie her down on her bed.

"Arigatou. You have been very helpful the entire day." Aizawa said to Takao as she gets under her sheets.

"No problem." Takao smiled warmly at her before he folds her wheelchair and places it aside. He turns back to Aizawa and said, "Aizawa-san, I know you are still trying to recover from your past, but you are not alone. We all have experience hardships in our lives. So does me and my family."

"What hardships did you went through?" Aizawa inquired.

"My parents broke up during my final year of junior high. Their divorce caused a lot of financial problems for us, and it also greatly affected our personal lives. I couldn't concentrate on my studies throughout my entire first year of high school, and I ended up failing." Takao said.

"I'm so sorry." Aizawa replied.

"It's alright." Takao smiled reassuringly at her.

"But you seem so lively now." Aizawa said.

"Yes, because my brother and I have since patch things up with my mother. And honestly, I never would have expected it." Takao said. Aizawa looked at him questioningly as he sat down on his own bed. "Back then, because my mother became wild and disruptive after the breakup, and my brother couldn't see eye to eye with her, to the point that he spends more time outside rather than being at home with us, I thought things will only get worse moving forward. But I soon realize that if I don't do anything to help my mother and brother, who will? Am I going to let my mother continue to suffer from depression until the end of time? Am I going to let my brother continue turning his back on us whenever there is a problem at home? Am I just going to remain quiet and helpless and let whatever family I had left slowly break apart? No. Our time in this world is precious. We still have so much more to live for while we're still young. We can't just keep living in the past, longing for whatever we have lost to come back when in reality, it's probably never going to happen. I learnt to accept the fact that my father isn't coming back, and that's why I chose to keep moving forward with my life without him. My mother however couldn't realize it, and that's why I decided to do something about it. I talk some sense into my brother and we both agree to help her together. All three of us went on a trip around Shinjuku that day, and I never forget the astounded look on my mother's face as we travelled around the city. It was the first time in a long while she had ever step out of our apartment and it was at that moment, she realized how big our world is and how much she is missing out on it. Bad things do happen to us all the time. But rather than being trap in dogma or drowning yourself in alcohol, you have to let go of the past and find a new reason to live."

Aizawa stares wordlessly at Takao as he gets under his sheets and lies down on his bed. He turns back to her and asked, "Are you ready to sleep?"

Aizawa gave Takao a wan smile and nods her head. "Yes. Thanks again, Akizuki."

"You're welcome." Takao said. He flips the switch on the wall and they both close their eyelids as the room went dark.

* * *

The next day, after having their breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, the four travel to Okamoto Riding Club. Knowing that they can't just spend their vacation in Gotemba doing shopping and looking at sights, Taiga suggested they should also ride horses at the city's riding club while they had the chance. Yukari and Takao both agree, but Aizawa felt nervous about the idea, especially in her current state. But the three manage to convince her that everything will be alright for her.

Upon arriving at the horse riding club, the four are greeted by its staff. They give them a tour around the club before heading over to the stables and introduce the visitors to their horses. When a staff member asks them to give a pat on the head of one of their horses, Yukari, Taiga and Takao encourage Aizawa to do it. Aizawa sighs nervously before rolling over to the horse. She flinched for a moment when the horse neighs at her, but Aizawa manages to muster enough courage to lean forward and places her hand on its head. When the horse responded to her with soft moan, Aizawa's lips now curve into a weak smile and she proceeds to stroke her hand gently on its head.

Afterwards, the staff member proceeds to ask the visitors if they would like to have a ride on their horses. Taiga enthusiastically said yes, along with Yukari and Takao. Aizawa admittedly still feel some nervousness in riding a horse with her current state, but knowing that Yukari and the others would be by her side at all times, she willingly agreed as well.

It took fifteen minutes for Yukari, Taiga, Takao and Aizawa to put on their helmets and safety vests. When they are done, they head over to their assigned horses. Yukari, Taiga and Takao mount onto their horses while the staff members advised Aizawa to remove her prosthetic foot before doing so. She obliged and after she put her prosthetic limb aside, one of the staff members helps her get on her horse and secures her tightly onto its saddle. The staff members advise the four to cling onto the reins and sit in the correct posture at all times. They solemnly nod their heads to them before the staff members get their horses to get up, escort them out the stables and enter the open field.

Yukari, Taiga and Takao smile as they take a moment to examine the field where they are allowed to ride their horses around.

"It's all yours. Enjoy." One of the staff members said to them before they let go of their horses.

"Arigatou." Yukari said to him as the staff members turn and walk back into the club. She turns to Aizawa who stares down at her horse as she clings onto the reins. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Y-y-yeah." Aizawa replied nervously as she looks back at Yukari with a frown.

"You can take all the time you need. When you are ready, you can come join us." Yukari said to her. Takao and Taiga nod their heads to Aizawa in agreement. Aizawa nods her head back to them in response before Yukari turns to Takao and Taiga. "Come on. Let's go!"

"Hai!" Taiga cried eagerly before she immediately rides off to the other side of the field.

"Hey, wait for us!" Takao laughed as he and Yukari rode after her.

As Aizawa stayed where she is, she quietly watches Yukari and the others laugh cheerfully as they ride their horses around the field. She could see the huge smile on Takao's face as he rides alongside with Yukari and Taiga. It was as if he has completely moved on from the hardships he had experienced in the past and fully embrace the happiness he has now in the present. Aizawa lowers her head again as she began dwelling on the past.

As she recalled, like Takao, her first year of high school wasn't exactly great. She was entering a new school, meaning she would have to start all over in trying to adjust to a new environment and form new relationships. And due to the vain and spoiled personality she had developed over the years from her estranged relationship with her parents and brother, it was extremely hard for her to do both of them. She couldn't even remember how she became friends with Chihiro in the first place.

But eventually, she did fell in love with a third year student at Shinjuku High who goes by the name of Shinji Makino. Aizawa remembered it was love at first sight for her. She found him very attractive and instantly had a crush on him. One day, Aizawa manages to gain enough courage to go up to Shinji and ask him if she can become his friend, and to her happiness at the time, he actually accepts her request. The two hung out with each other often and Aizawa felt her feelings for him have greatly developed over time.

On the day of his graduation, Aizawa eventually confesses her love for Shinji and hope that they can still keep in touch with each other. But to her shock, despite showing her kindness over the past year, Shinji rejected her. She could still remember the exact words Shinji said to her.

 _I'm sorry, Aizawa-san. But how can I love a girl who doesn't love herself?_

Back then, Aizawa felt hurt and angered by his words. But thinking back now, he was actually right. Aizawa had such a troubled relationship with her family that she felt like an outcast, which causes her to feel cold and bitter with herself. If she doesn't love her own existence, how can she possibly love the people around her? And those were probably the thoughts that lingered Shinji's mind whenever Aizawa was around him. Despite being friends, Shinji knew Aizawa was only hanging out with him out of self-pity, and she can't blame him for thinking so.

Aizawa could remember how distressed she was over the rejection back then. When her second year of high school began, she became so desperate in looking for another boy to have a relationship with that she immediately turned to Wataru, another male student who is older than her. She didn't care about her studies anymore or who Wataru actually was back then. All that matters to her was that he was willing to be her partner when she asked him out, and she wholeheartedly went along with it. She was able to find someone to replace Shinji in her life.

And ten months later, that was when Yukari Yukino entered into her life for the first time. When her previous literature teacher dropped out, Yukari became her class's replacement. Aizawa remembered how kind and caring she was towards others, which causes most of the students in class to admire her. Aizawa on the other hand, being the cold and self-centered girl she was back then, couldn't find herself to like her, or anybody else. And one day, after Yukari caught her and Wataru making out with each other in the girls' restroom and advised her not to hang out with him anymore, without any second thoughts, Aizawa completely snapped. The bitterness that she had been building inside her for over so many years instantly led her to believe that Yukari is trying to split them apart, and Aizawa would have to deal with the loss of someone she loved all over again. It was as if at that moment, she believed that just like her family, Yukari was trying to destroy her. And that was what ultimately led her to team up with Wataru to post a fake video of Yukari slapping him out of violence and post it onto the Internet for everyone to see, thus destroying the life and reputation of an innocent teacher who was only doing her job.

Aizawa wipes away a tear from her eye as she felt a huge sense of disgust and regret inside her. Yukari was only trying to help her back then, just like with every other student who was in her school. And looking back, if she hadn't consumed herself with so much hatred and bitterness, Yukari could have been a motherly figure towards her. Someone who could replace her family, help her walk down the right path in life, and prevent her from committing the heist with her former boyfriend that ultimately led her to becoming what she is now. But instead, she chose to get her fired, thus destroying whatever opportunity she could have had to change her life for the better. She could even see the contrast between herself and Yukari. How her former teacher was tender and compassionate towards others while she on the other hand was vain and self-centered. So it would seem that another reason why she couldn't bring herself to like her back then was because she was jealous of her. No wonder why Wataru thought she was pathetic.

Aizawa looks back at Yukari who is enjoying herself as she rides her horse around the field with Takao and Taiga. Aizawa remembered how devastated Yukari was when she gave her final lesson in Shinjuku High that day. Back then, she never realized just how painful and heartbreaking it truly felt to be publicly humiliated and losing a job that you had dreamt of pursuing throughout your entire life. But as time goes on, while Aizawa still remain the arrogant and pitiful woman that she is, Yukari had since been able to regain her will and strength to keep living, eventually finding happiness again, maintaining her friendship with Taiga and Takao, and even return to working at the school that she was originally fired from. It was as if the incident never destroyed her spirit at all. Aizawa couldn't help but admire her. How despite the hardships she experienced back then, she is still able to get back up again and keep moving forward. And that was when Aizawa finally thought to herself.

 _Why can't I be like her?_

Aizawa lets out a heavy sigh. She knew Yukari was trying to help her. She was trying to help her become a better person. Help her forget about the past and whatever bad experience she had with her family, and move on with her life.

And now, Aizawa realized today was the day. The day she would change for the better.

Looking back at her horse, Aizawa gave a gentle toss of her reins and she proceeds to ride towards the others.

Yukari, Taiga and Takao stop and turn to Aizawa for a moment. They all smile as they see her finally coming over and joining in the fun. But what made them feel overwhelmed with joy was seeing the bright smile on Aizawa's face, which is the biggest they had seen from her ever since she got out of prison. As Aizawa rides over to her side, Yukari places her hand on her left shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Aizawa." Yukari said.

Aizawa turns to Takao and Taiga and sees them nodding their heads to her. She smiled at them before looking back at Yukari and replied to her, "Thank you…all of you…for saving my life."

The four proceed to spend the rest of the day riding their horses around the open field. They played and laughed together, not having a care in the world. Yukari had never felt so much joy and excitement with her friends since her previous job. But what made the day truly special for her was the accomplishment she and the others made. And that was being able to penetrate the icy shell inside Aizawa's heart and making her whole once more.

* * *

Later that night, Yukari and the others head to one of the city's restaurants to have their dinner. They converse with each other as they ate together. Both Taiga and Aizawa look extremely enthusiastic as they chat with Yukari and Takao over what they did at the riding club today.

When they finish their dinner, Yukari and the others return to their hotel and head back into one of their rooms. After Yukari and Taiga finish teaching Takao for today, they spend the remainder of the night chatting and enjoying each other's company.

"When I got my shinai out from practice one day, I realized that my brother's yellow and black strap was still tied around it after the game we had together last night. And while I was trying to remove it, my fellow kendo fighters spotted me and one of them said, _'What's with the tiger stripes on your shinai, Taiga?'_ And as soon as the others heard her say the word along with my real name, that's how I got the ridiculous nickname…" Taiga groans heavily before mentioning the dreaded word. "Tiger…"

Yukari, Takao and Aizawa chortled after hearing her story. Even though Yukari had heard it before, it still made her laugh every time she hears it.

"Now it's your turn, Aizawa. Want to share a story about yourself with us?" Taiga asked.

Aizawa looked at everyone around her for a moment before she said nervously, "W-Well…before I entered high school…I was actually overweight." Yukari, Taiga and Takao fail to suppress their laughter while Aizawa chuckled sheepishly. "It's true, you guys. Every boy and girl in my junior high school made fun of me for my weight. I eventually got sick and tired of it, so I began exercising every single day and ate more vegetables, until I finally lose a lot of weight, and I was able to maintain it ever since." She paused as she lowers her head. "And I guess it's also because I was so easily annoyed whenever people say negatively about my appearance…I became so stuck-up and uncaring towards others by the time I entered high school."

Yukari, Taiga and Takao all smiled at her and clap their hands. Aizawa looks back up and stares blankly at them for a few seconds before a wide smile also plasters across her face.

"You are finally able to open up to others. That's wonderful. I'm proud of you." Yukari said to her.

"Arigatou." Aizawa bows her head to them. "And also, there's something else I want to say."

"What is it?" Takao asked.

"I really want to thank you all for your kindness and hospitality towards me, as well as this wonderful trip we had together. All of you truly are my friends." Aizawa said.

"You're welcome." Taiga said to her with a tender smile.

"And there's more. After the experience we had together at the riding club, I've honestly fell in love with horse riding." Aizawa chuckled for a moment as her cheeks blush. "And after debating with myself for a long time, I think I've decided to pursue a dream into becoming an equestrian athlete."

"That sounds fantastic, Aizawa!" Takao said with his eyes widened.

"I'm so glad that you are able to find what you love and wish to follow it." Yukari smiled at her.

Aizawa nods her head to the two before turning to Taiga. "And Fujimura-san, thank you so much for letting me stay in your apartment. But I've also decided to move out and live on my own. Just because I've lost a part of me doesn't mean I have to remain dependent on others forever. I'm still young and have so much to live and experience for myself. I know it may be hard for me to achieve my dream, especially when I have a criminal record. But that doesn't mean I should just give up. If there's anything Yukari has taught me over the last week, it's that no matter how bad things can get, as long as you remain strong and have faith, you will always find happiness again somewhere down the road."

Yukari continues smiling at Aizawa and she slowly nods her head in agreement. "Yes. You are absolutely right." She said.

Taiga places her hand on Aizawa's shoulder and said, "Well, if that's what you want for yourself, then I really do hope you can achieve your dreams."

"Arigatou." Aizawa thanked Taiga.

A huge smirk appears on Taiga's face as she added, "Because I sure don't want you sleeping in my brother's room for the rest of your life."

She and Aizawa laughed, as well as Yukari and Takao.

* * *

 _ **Three weeks later…**_

Yukari, Takao, Taiga and Aizawa stayed behind the yellow line at the train platform in Shinjuku Station. Aizawa has her sports bag containing her clothes and other items placed on her lap as she sat on the wheelchair and wait for her train.

Since returning to Tokyo from their vacation, Aizawa spent the last three weeks sending an application to the Japan Equestrian Federation to become an athlete and finding a new apartment to live in. And thanks to the help of Yukari and Taiga who both kindly provided her some assistance and financial aid, Aizawa eventually found an apartment in the Chuo ward, which is coincidentally where the Equestrian Federation headquarters is located. And only two days after buying the apartment, she received a call from the federation that they have accepted her application and requested her to drop by and have an interview.

Yukari looked down at Aizawa and asked, "Your train will be here at any minute and you are about to start your life anew. Are you nervous?"

Aizawa twirls her hair which has grown longer since and she smiles back at Yukari. "No. Not at all. After everything we have been through, I honestly don't feel any worries anymore."

"We really wish you all the best, Aizawa." Takao said to her.

"Get out there and make us proud by showing the whole world what you're truly made of." Taiga grins at her as she holds up a clenched fist.

"And remember, if you ever need help, you will always find a friend here in Shinjuku." Yukari said. She and Aizawa smiled at each other for a few moments before the train finally arrived. The four turn to the pair of doors in front of them as they open. Yukari removes her hands around the handles of her wheelchair as Aizawa places the strap of her sports bag over her shoulder.

Aizawa places her hands on the armrest of her wheelchair, slowly gets herself up and stood up straight on her own feet. As Takao holds up a metal cane to her, Aizawa grabs it from his hands and turns her head back to the train. She takes a deep breath, and using the cane to support her, she finally walks towards the train.

As she gets inside the train, a man turns his attention away from his smartphone and looks up to see Aizawa walking over. The man picks up his briefcase from the floor, gets up from his seat and smiles at her as he gestures her to sit down. Aizawa thanked the man before she turns around and sits down. After placing her cane and sports bag down on the floor, Aizawa looks back up to see Yukari, Takao and Taiga waving their hands at her.

"Goodbye, Aizawa-san!" Taiga cried.

"Good luck with your future endeavors!" Takao added.

"Take care of yourself, and always stay positive!" Yukari added.

As her eyes brim with tears of joy, Aizawa smiled and waves her hand back at them. "Thank you everyone! Thank you all so much!" She cried.

They keep waving their hands at each other before the doors finally close. Yukari, Takao and Taiga remain where they stood as they watch the train depart from the station until it is completely out of their sights.

Taiga lets out a heavy sigh before turning to Yukari. "I really hope she will fulfill her dreams."

"So do I." Yukari responded with a warm smile. "And it's exactly what I always believe. No matter how bad we may be, everybody still has the capacity for change."

* * *

 _ **Eight days later…**_

Yukari and Takao head to the rooftop of Shinjuku High during school break. Yesterday, Takao and the students of Shinjuku High received their results of the second midterms. Just like the other two exams before it, Takao passed the test with flying colors once again. He, Yukari and Taiga had their usual celebratory dinner at Tai Feng's restaurant later that evening. But even though Takao is truly happy to have passed his tests again, there was something else that he wanted to do. Something that he had been meaning to tell Yukari for the last eleven months.

As they stood behind the metal fences at the edges of the rooftop, Yukari turns to Takao and asked, "So, what is it that you're trying to tell me?"

Takao takes a deep breath. This is it. He knew that he can't keep this inside him any longer. He just had to tell her, before it's too late.

"Yukino-sensei, I truly am grateful to have you as my tutor for nearly the last two years. I was struggling with my studies at the time because of the terrible things that were happening within my family. But then…you showed up in my life." Takao turns his head to Yukari as he places his hands behind his back. "You accepted my request…helped me with my studies…but at the same time, you also help me smile…and embrace life again. And as time goes on, you made me realize something. Something that…I never thought of before."

Yukari stares at Takao questioningly, struggling to understand what her student is trying to say. "Akizuki…I don't-"

"Yukino-sensei." Takao interrupted her. Yukari's mouth gape open as she sees her student staring solemnly back at her. "I think I've fallen in love with you."

It was at that moment, the rooftop went silent.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives and Dreamaholics for reviewing, BetaKing1 for following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks everyone!**


	10. Drift Away

_**Drift**_ ** _Away_**

 _ **Two Days Later…**_

The students stand up and bow to Yukari after the final school bell rang. "Arigatou, Yukino-sensei." They all said in unison.

"Arigatou, minna-san." Yukari responded solemnly. The students pick their bags up and get ready to leave the school.

Yukari packs her books into her tote bag as the students walk past her desk and make their way out of the classroom. She looks up for a moment when Takao, Matsumoto and Satou walk over to her.

"Study hard for the finals and rest well." Yukari advised the three.

"Understood." Takao replied flatly to her before he turns and leaves the classroom. Matsumoto and Satou glance at Takao in confusion before turning to Yukari.

"What's wrong with him lately, Yukino-sensei?" Satou asked her teacher in concern.

"Nothing." Yukari shook her head with a wan smile. "He just needs some time alone."

"Come to think of it, you two didn't have tuition yesterday. What happened?" Matsumoto inquired.

"I wasn't feeling well." Yukari said half-heartedly.

"I see." Satou said softly. "Well, I hope you will get well soon so that you can go back to teaching him, especially when the finals are approaching."

Yukari lets out a heavy sigh and replied, "Return home and focus on your studies."

Without saying another word, Yukari picks her bag up and walks out of the classroom, leaving behind two bewildered students.

* * *

Yukari quietly walks down the school hallways, now filled with students chatting with each other as they make their way out of the building. But unlike the students who are all feeling relieved that the day is over, there is a lingering sense of melancholy surrounding Yukari as she makes her way through the crowded hallways.

She is still trying to recover from the emotions she had when Takao confessed his true feelings for her two days ago. She was shocked upon hearing those words from him, and she remains quiet for a few moments before she tried her best to reject him in a kindly manner. Yukari was hoping that her student would understand how she feel, but she could still virtualize inside her head how Takao looked upon hearing her rejection. She noticed his brows furrowed and his head lowered as if a sharp object had pierced through his heart. And without saying another word to her, Takao simply turned and make his way back to the classroom, leaving Yukari behind with a look of pensive sadness on her face. And knowing how heartbroken Takao was afterwards, Yukari decided to put their tuitions to a halt, hoping it will allow them to emotionally recover what had happened.

Yukari knew that she had hurt Takao's feelings, and she never wanted to. She deeply cares for him, like a true teacher does towards their students. But Yukari also reminded herself that it just seems silly. It's difficult to imagine it at all. The idea of their relationship was actually romantic was an odd thought. How can a student and a teacher be allowed to love each other?

After Taiga steps out of the staffroom and closes the door behind her, she turns her head and smile when she sees Yukari walking down the hallway.

"Yukari-chan!" Taiga greeted her enthusiastically as she waves her hand.

"Taiga-chan." Yukari responded stoically as she walks up to her. "Are you ready to leave?"

Taiga's glee instantly vanished when she sees the frown on her friend's face. "Y-y-yeah…" She murmured as she lowers her hand.

"Good." Yukari said before the two walk down the hallway together.

"Where's Akizuki?" Taiga asked.

"He's not feeling well today." Yukari replied.

"What?" Taiga said with her eyes widened. "You said he wasn't feeling well yesterday and now he's still the same today?"

"Hai." Yukari nods her head.

"What exactly is wrong with him? Maybe we should call his mother and ask how he's feeling now." Taiga said in concern.

"Just leave him alone." Yukari replied flatly as her brows furrowed. "He needs rest and we shouldn't disturb him."

Taiga gapes her mouth open upon hearing the flat tone of her friend's voice. Deciding not to bother her any further, Taiga frowned as she turns back to her front. "Alright."

* * *

Later that night, Taiga and Yukari head to Tai Feng's restaurant to have their dinner. They sat down at their usual table and Lenalee wrote down their orders before she heads to the kitchen. And thirty minutes later, Tai Feng walks over to their table while carrying a tray of food that they ordered.

"Here you go." Tai Feng said as he places the bowls of rice, youtiao and pork rib soup in front of Taiga and Yukari.

"Arigatou, Tai Feng." Taiga smiled at him.

"Bie ke qi." Tai Feng replied before asking the teachers in concern. "By the way, I was wondering. Where was the kid yesterday? Don't you guys usually eat together on Wednesdays?"

"He wasn't well." Yukari replied dully to him.

"Oh, I see." Tai Feng said with a worried frown. "Is he in school today?"

"No." Yukari shook her head.

"Well, tell him to get well soon for me, will ya?" Tai Feng asked.

"Sure thing." Taiga nods her head with a wan smile before Tai Feng turns around and walks back to the kitchen. Taiga turns back to Yukari who quietly places her hands together.

"Itadakimasu." Yukari said softly before she began eating her food.

Taiga frowned worriedly at her friend for a moment before she turns to her own bowls of food and places her hands together as well. "Itadakimasu."

* * *

Takao returns to his apartment to have dinner with his brother and mother. They quietly ate their rice, omelette, fish and vegetables which are cooked by Reimi tonight. Even Shouta is present in the room to eat dinner with the rest of the family. The Akizukis are glad that the days of Reimi dwelling in her depression and Shouta returning home late to avoid contact with her are long gone. But unlike most nights for the last twelve months, Takao is strangely quiet tonight as he ate his food.

In an attempt to converse with his brother, Shouta picked up a piece of spinach with his chopsticks and holds it above Takao's bowl of rice. "Want some?" He asked encouragingly.

"No thanks." Takao mumbled as he uses his own chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish.

"What happened at school today?" Reimi asked as she stares at Takao in concern.

"Everything's fine." Takao replied stoically as he places the piece of fish onto his rice and eats it.

Shouta frowns at his younger brother and places the spinach back with the rest of the vegetables. "Takao, if there's anything-"

"I'm done." Takao said abruptly as he places down his now empty bowl. "Clean the bowl for me. I'm going to my room to study for the finals."

With that, Takao gets up from his chair, picks up his schoolbag from the floor and walks over to his room. After hearing the door to his room being closed, Shouta and Reimi look at each other, wondering what is bothering the younger Akizuki.

* * *

The next day after school, Takao and Matsumoto head to the gym to attend their activities at the volleyball club. Matsumoto did try to strike a conversation with Takao but he remained silent throughout their entire trip to the gym.

During practice, Kitagawa jumps into the air and slams his hand on the ball, sending it flying over to the other side of the court.

"Akizuki!" Wakisaka shouted to Takao who stood in front of him. But Takao remained still with his head down and his arms hanging limply at his sides as the ball landed right beside his feet and bounces away.

"Hey, what's wrong with you today?" Matsumoto asked his friend with a pensive scowl as he stood beside him.

"Are you not feeling well today, Akizuki?" Sasaki inquired as he stood at the side of the court. Takao responded to his coach with a slight nod. "Very well then, take a seat. Toda, come over and take his place." The other players in the court watch in confusion as Takao quietly walks over to the bench, not making eye contact with Toda who jogs past him.

"Akizuki…" Kitagawa murmured as he stares at his teammate with a worried frown. Everyone instantly look back to their front when Sasaki blows his whistle.

Takao sat down on the bench with the substitutes as the other players on the court resume their practice. He continues staring down at the floor even as the player sitting next to him passes him a water bottle. Takao remained silent as he takes the bottle from the player's hand.

Takao still couldn't get over the aching in his heart. For nearly the last two years, Yukari had shown him her kindness and support, and Takao would always express his gratitude in return. But now, it felt like all the memories he had with her are soiled after the rejection he received from her. For the last three days, he questioned himself what does his relationship with Yukari mean after all. Was he really just a student to her? Were all the lessons he had with her and Taiga just part of her job of being a teacher? Was it always in her point of view that he is just another student to teach before he graduates and enters society like everybody else in school?

Takao sighed heavily. Maybe Yukari was right. He can never be with her because of their professions and age difference. A romantic relationship between a student and a teacher? What was he thinking? It sounded both foolish and impossible. And maybe the care and attention that Yukari had shown him was all part of her job, and nothing more.

"Is there something wrong?"

Takao turns his head and sees Hitomi walking over to him. She pulls up her own chair next to the substitutes' bench and sat beside him.

"Murasaki-sensei." Takao said as he sits up straight and looks back at her.

"You seem dejected. Mind sharing me what's going through your head?" Hitomi asked.

Takao frowns and turns his head away, remaining silent for a few moments. He looks back at Hitomi again and questioned her, "Do you ever feel like…you have completely lost hope after being rejected by someone you look up to?"

"Were you in a relationship?" Hitomi asked. Takao nodded. "And I assume it ended badly?"

"Hai." Takao murmured in response.

Hitomi silently nods her head. "Let me tell you something. When I was just a child still living in Okinawa with my family, I had big dreams of moving to Tokyo. The problem is, my parents were poor, and they even criticize me that my dreams were too ambitious. But I never gave up and just continue my education, hoping that I'll score grades high enough for me to move to the capital. And when I turned 18, I got into university and hope to earn a bachelor's degree, which will help me get accepted by any job in Tokyo. But while I was in my first year, my parents' financial problems grew worse and they struggled to pay for my school fees. It was to the point I had to decide whether I should continue studying to achieve my dreams, or drop out to save my family from collapsing. Ultimately, I chose the latter. Of course at the time, I was upset that I had to drop out at only the first year of university. I thought my road to fulfilling my dreams to move to Tokyo had ended. But eventually, a friend of mine suggested taking on a delivery job in Naha. And because I needed to support my family, I took her advice. And one day, because I worked so well in my delivery job, my manager wanted to move me to the company's branch in Tokyo. I was shocked, but excited at the same time. So I accepted it. My family and I moved to Mitaka where I continued my work for the delivery company. And eventually, I was able to earn enough money for me and my family to quit the job, move to Shinjuku…" She paused for a moment and gave a wide smile to Takao. "And here I am now."

Hitomi pushes aside a strand of hair away from her eyes and takes a deep breath while Takao continues staring at her with his eyes widened after being amazed by her story.

"The point is, don't ever give up on anything, even if you felt like you had been rejected. I was rejected once in my life by having to drop out from university. But I eventually found hope again in achieving what I desire later down the road. And I hope you can do the same." Hitomi said.

Takao's eyes softened as he turns his head away and looks back at the floor. He frowned again as he murmured, "How I wish."

* * *

Later that night, Yukari return home earlier than expected, much to her mother's surprise. She always thought usually her daughter would be having dinner outside with her friend on Fridays, but Yukari chose not to hang out with Taiga tonight, citing to her friend that she needs rest after a long day of work. Yukari and her mother spent the next thirty minutes cooking their dinner. When they are done, they brought their food over to the dining table and ate together.

As she quietly ate her dinner, Yukari continues to contemplate over the events that happened between her and Takao three days ago. Despite knowing that rejecting him was the right thing to do, Yukari still couldn't help but feel guilty for hurting Takao's feelings. He does care about her after all, but he is still young and he needs to focus more on his studies, especially with the finals coming up.

But now, she is also feeling a sense of confusion.

If Yukari had known that these extra lessons, as well as her time spent with him outside of class, would cause Takao to develop such strong feelings for her, she would have never accepted his request to become his tutor. Why did she even accept it in the first place? She knows that he had issues with his family and was struggling with his studies. Does this mean she chose to be his tutor out of pity, or just part of her job as a teacher? Why of all the students in her class, and the whole school, she chose Takao to have special lessons with her and Taiga?

And now that she had realized that he had feelings for her, and had rejected him, is this how things are going to be for the remainder of the school year? Will she protect her pride as a teacher and not make further contact with Takao again? Will they remain apart, until he graduates and she will forget about-

Yukari firmly place her chopsticks down on the table, causing her mother to look up at her in shock. She noticed the scowl on her daughter's face, distorted by the pained confusion she is currently feeling inside her.

"Dear, what's wrong?" Her mother asked in concern.

"I'm sorry mother. It's just…I just…" Yukari struggled to respond. Tears begin to form in her eyes as she bites down on her lower lip. Yukari plants a hand on her eyes as she silently wept, causing her mother to quickly get up from her chair and rush over to her side.

"Dear, please." Her mother said to Yukari softly as she places her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"M-m-mother…" Yukari managed to say. "I'm just so…confused."

Her mother responded by wrapping her arms around her daughter. Yukari turns to her mother and hugs her back as she weeps on her shoulder.

"It's okay, dear." Her mother said soothingly as she rubs Yukari's back. "Just tell me all about it."

* * *

A few minutes later, her mother walks over to Yukari who is sitting on the couch in the living area and handed her a warm cup of jasmine tea. She sat beside her daughter while holding onto her own cup of tea and asked warmly, "Now tell me, what's going on?"

Yukari took a small sip of her tea before turning to her mother with tearstained eyes and asked, "Is a teacher's job…really just to teach the new generation…and forget about them when they enter society…and just move on to the next batch of students?"

"I see. You are wondering whether to forget the people you have made a connection with over the past year." Her mother said. Yukari nods her head. "Are your students really dear to you?" Yukari closed her eyes and pursed her lips before nodding her head again. But when she felt the warmth of her mother's hand being placed onto her shoulder, Yukari's mouth gape open as she looks back at her.

"If you feel that you have a strong connection with your students, then you shouldn't ignore it. Even if they leave and part ways with you, they will always remain inside your heart. Just like how even after your father died…" Her mother places her other hand on her chest. "A part of him will always remain here, inside of me. When he was alive, your father taught me to turn our friendship into love. He made me realized that I'm destined to remain by his side for the rest of our lives. And we did remain married until his death, and I never regret a single moment I spent with him." Her mother smiled warmly at Yukari as she rubs her daughter's shoulder. "And I hope that whatever connections you've made with the people you're close with, you too will also believe that you are destined to be with them…forevermore."

Yukari gazes at her mother for a few moments before she wipes away the remaining tears inside her eyes and turns her head away.

"With him…" Yukari whispered to herself. "Forevermore…"

* * *

 _ **Three Days Later…**_

When the final school bell rang, Takao and his classmates got up from their seats and bow down to their science teacher before leaving the classroom in an orderly manner. As they begin making their way out of the school, Matsumoto wraps an arm around Takao as they and Satou walk down the hallways together.

"Finally! The day is over. Are you ready to go to Jiyugaoka with us?" Matsumoto asked Takao enthusiastically.

"Are you really sure we should be doing this? The finals are approaching soon." Takao said flatly with the scowl he had been displaying on his face for the entire day.

"Oh don't worry, Akizuki. We still got five weeks before that happens, don't we?" Satou said reassuringly.

"Hai." Matsumoto nods his head. "You already agreed to this when we asked you this morning. So relax! We need to take some time to rest in between our studies, right?"

Takao blows out a heavy sigh before giving his friends a reluctant nod. And when the three friends step out of the main school building, Takao widens his eyes as he didn't expect two familiar figures waiting for him outside.

"Hello guys!" Taiga said cheerfully as she and Yukari wave their hands at him and his friends. "Are you ready to go?"

"What does she mean?" Takao asked his friends in bewilderment as Matsumoto removes his arm around him.

"Sorry we didn't tell you, but we ask Fujimura and Yukino-sensei to come along with us too." Satou said to Takao with a sheepish smile.

"Why would you do that?! They're teachers! They probably have their own things to do right now!" Takao chided his friends.

"But you aren't having tuition with them tonight, right?" Matsumoto asked him with a smirk.

"Come on Takao. It's been a while since we hung out together like this. Please?" Satou pleaded.

Takao growls at his friends before he closes his eyes and respond to them with a solemn nod. "Fine, but let's-"

"ARIGATOU!" Satou and Matsumoto quickly interrupted him by giving him a tight embrace.

"HEY! What the heck?!" Takao struggled to say as he felt his friends tightening their hug around his body. Taiga chortled and Yukari giggled as they watch the display from a distance. When Satou and Matsumoto back away, Takao lets out another heavy sigh before the three friends walk over to the teachers.

"Fujimura-sensei, Yukino-sensei." Takao greeted as he bows to them. When he stood up straight, he made a brief eye contact with Yukari before turning his head away. Yukari sighed inwardly as she gazes at Takao.

"Now then, what are we waiting for?" Taiga asked everyone around her with a wide smile. "Let's go!"

* * *

The five walk to Shinjuku Station, boarded a train and travel their way to Jiyugaoka. Takao and Yukari never spoke or looked at each other throughout the ride. All they did was sat beside each other, waiting for their train to arrive at their destination while Matsumoto, Satou and Taiga stood in front of them, conversing with each other as they cling onto the handles above them.

Takao couldn't help but still feel a bit of anger inside him after what happened last Tuesday. He never wanted this icy atmosphere between him and Yukari, but he just doesn't know what to say to her ever since. He still kept wondering to himself if all the moments they had together ever truly mean anything. He knew he needs to stop dwelling so much on such things, but he could not help it. Takao had strong feelings towards Yukari. He realized that she is more than a teacher to him. And yet, did she ever truly felt the same for him in return? Was he really just a fool all along?

Before he knew it, they arrived at Jiyugaoka Station. Takao and the others leave the train, step out of the station and walk through the streets of Jiyugaoka. The five look around in awe. The neighborhood consists of small buildings built in a very European-like architecture that would make any visitor feel like they had left Japan and entered an entirely different continent. Most of the buildings are made of bricks and painted in various bright colors which helps give each of them their own unique personality. Trees and bushes with all sorts of flowers are grown between and alongside the wide pavements, bringing life and tranquility to this small neighborhood located within the busy urban areas of Tokyo.

For the next hour, the five spend their time in the neighborhood visiting various shops and looking through several items such as clothes, shoes and gifts. But unlike their shopping trip in Gotemba, Takao and Yukari just could not enjoy themselves. The sense of happiness inside them wasn't there during their journey around the neighborhood, and the fact that neither of them is still willing to speak to each other make them feel even more despondent.

By the time they step out of the last store they visited, night has fallen all across Tokyo. Satou and Taiga could hear Matsumoto's stomach rumbling, which causes him to blush and making everyone realize that they haven't had dinner yet. Matsumoto, Satou and Taiga chuckle for a moment before turning to Takao and Yukari for a moment to see the blank looks on their faces. The three frown as they turn to each other. Taiga approaches Yukari from behind and places her hand on her shoulder.

"Yukari-chan, why don't you and Akizuki take a seat while the others and I look for a place to eat?" Taiga suggested. Yukari turns to her friend and wordlessly nods her head.

"Go have some rest, Takao." Satou said softly to Takao. Takao nodded to Satou before he and Yukari stare at each other for a brief moment. They turn their heads away shortly after as they both walk over to the bench in front of them placed in the middle of the large pavement.

"Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back." Taiga grinned at Takao and Yukari. She turns and walks away along with Satou and Matsumoto, leaving the two behind and alone with each other.

Takao and Yukari sat together in silence for the next five minutes. Despite the fact that they are only a few centimeters apart, both the student and teacher refuse to make contact with each other. Yukari simply sat there and stares blankly into nothingness while Takao leans back on the bench with his head down and his arms folded.

Eventually, Takao's teeth broke out into a grimace. He couldn't stand it anymore. For the last six days, neither he nor Yukari ever had a proper conversation with each other. He is tired of Yukari constantly keeping things to herself. Tired of being lectured by people who are older than him. Tired of being treated as nothing more than a student who should only focus on his studies. He just can't tolerate this ignorance from her any longer.

After stomping his foot in frustration, Takao stood up from the bench and turned to Yukari with an ugly scowl. Not caring about the shock and confused expressions from the passers-by, Takao said to Yukari with his voice quivering with rage, "So is this it? Is this how things are going to be between us from now on?! HUH?!"

Yukari's brows furrowed as she continued sitting on the bench in silence, listening to Takao as he lets out his fury.

"You know what? I take back what I said. I'm not in love with you anymore. I was crazy all along, thinking that I can have such feelings towards a teacher." Takao laughed for a moment before throwing his head back. "What the heck was I thinking, right? Who the hell do I think I am?" Takao grits his teeth again as he looks back at Yukari and shouted, "I'm just a student! That's what! A childish student who doesn't know anything better and shouldn't stick his nose into an adult's business! If I had known you are just like every other adult, I never would have requested you to be my tutor! All those lessons and times we had together, including the volleyball tournament and our trip to Gotemba with Fujimura and Aizawa…THEY WERE ALL MEANINGLESS!" As Takao bellowed the last sentence, hot tears freely roll down his cheeks. "You never really cared for me! You were just there to teach me what I don't know, and only expressed your support for me because it's your damn job to do so! If you really wanted to take your job as a teacher seriously, you should have just been honest with me! That I'm just an idiot with foolish thoughts and dreams! Becoming a shoemaker? What a joke! Find something else that's more respectable in society! Study harder and get a degree! Think what's better for yourself and stop wasting your time on pointless things!"

Takao collapses onto his knees with a whimper. As he lowers his head and closes his eyes, unable to fight back his tears any longer, Takao screamed with a mixture of sadness and pure rage, "SO JUST TELL ME, GOD DAMMIT! Tell me that I'm a nuisance for constantly going out with you and requesting extra lessons from you! TELL ME!"

Suddenly, much to his surprise, Yukari gets up from the bench, fell on her knees and threw herself against Takao, pulling him into a tight embrace. Takao's eyes snap back open as Yukari lets out a loud wail. She openly wept onto Takao's shoulder and her tears spill onto his uniform every time she sobbed.

"P-Please Akizuki…P-Please don't s-say that…" Yukari took a hard gulp as she tried to regain her composure. "When I first returned to working in your school…I felt like someone starting her life all over again…and then I met you…you told me what you went through…and I became willing to help you…because you were just like me…someone who is struggling to walk again…to find a reason to keep moving forward…and every time we see each other…every lesson we had together…it reminds me why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place! So don't…don't ever say that the times we had were meaningless…don't ever think you are an idiot and a nuisance…I cherish every moment we spent together…YOU WERE ALWAYS MAKING ME HAPPY!" She screamed at her last sentence and ending it with a hoarse sob.

Takao grits his teeth and closes his eyes. He hugs his teacher back and rests his chin on her shoulder, letting his tears flow freely down his cheeks. They both remain where they are, crying and hugging close to each other and not caring about the passers-by who were watching them.

A few minutes later, Takao and Yukari break away from their hug and stare into each other's tearstained eyes. They both take a moment to wipe away their tears before Takao spoke up, "I'm so sorry…Yukino-sensei…"

Yukari shook her head. "It's okay…I know you didn't mean a word you said…" She replied softly. "I know you care about me, Akizuki. But to be honest, it's just not the right time."

Takao sighs heavily and lowers his head. "I know that." He said sadly.

"But don't give up." Yukari said as she grabs Takao's right arm, causing her student to look back up at her with pained confusion. "Don't ever forget these feelings you have for me. When you have grown older and finished what you have to do, you can always find me again."

Takao and Yukari silently stare at each other for a few more moments before the teacher pulls him into another tight embrace.

"I love you, Akizuki." Yukari whispered into his ear.

Takao's eyes softened as he wraps his arms around her. "I love you too, Yukino-sensei."

Yukari chuckled. "Not sensei…Yukino-san." She said softly. A wide smile plasters across Takao's face as he turns to his teacher.

"I knew you two will finally talk to each other."

Takao and Yukari gasp with their eyes widened and their cheeks blush crimson upon hearing Taiga's voice. They turn their heads to see her standing in front of them with a lopsided smirk, along with Satou and Matsumoto who both stood at her sides.

"Taiga-chan!" Yukari cried in embarrassment.

"Satou! Matsumoto!" Takao exclaimed as he stares at his friends in shock.

Satou giggled before responding to Takao, "Sorry we hid this from you. But Matsumoto and Fujimura-sensei discuss with each other after our club activities last Friday on how to make you and Yukino-sensei get along again."

"We don't want you to go back to being the cold and quiet guy from our first year all over again. And we know Yukino-sensei is the only person who is able to help you. That's why we desperately want you two to make up with each other before the finals." Matsumoto explained.

"And we are so glad that our plan in bringing you guys here actually worked." Taiga said with a cheerful grin as she places her hands at the sides of her hip.

Takao lowers his head and said to them with utter embarrassment, "I'm guessing you guys think I'm shameful, right? Being in love with someone who is nearly twice my age."

"Don't worry. We knew all along." Satou smiled at him. Takao looks back up at them in surprise.

"Yeah." Matsumoto said as he shrugged. "I mean the way you two are always conversing and smiling at each other. It's obvious that you two became close to each other ever since Yukino-sensei became your tutor."

Taiga kneels down on the pavement and asked Takao, "Tell me, Akizuki. Do you really care about Yukino that much?"

Takao stares wordlessly at Taiga for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes, I do." He said solemnly.

Taiga turns to Yukari and inquired, "And Yukari-chan, do you share the same feelings for him?"

"Hai." Yukari replied as she nods her head as well.

Taiga looks back at Takao and said, "Then Akizuki, let me tell you something."

"What is it?" Takao asked. Taiga uses her finger to gesture him to come closer. Takao leans his head towards her and without warning; Taiga quickly gave a gentle smack on the top of his head. "Ah, hey!"

"Focus on your studies first!" Taiga chided him. Takao stares at her in surprise as he sees a rare stern scowl on her face. "I know you and my friend have feelings for each other. But you really want to make her truly happy, concentrate on your utmost priority first! Promise us that you will study hard to enter university and achieve your dream job by the time you are old enough to enter society!"

Takao frowns back at Taiga and vowed, "Yes Fujimura-sensei! I promise!"

Takao bows down to Taiga for a moment. And when he looks back up, he sees that the scowl on her face had transformed into a warm smile. Taiga places her hand on his right shoulder before saying gently to him, "And once you fulfill those goals, and your feelings towards Yukino never changed, then you are allowed to come back to us."

Takao responded with a solemn nod. "I understand." He said.

Taiga places her other hand on Yukari's left shoulder and she pulls her friend and Takao into an embrace. "Until then, I wish you two all the best." Taiga whispered to both of them. Yukari and Takao smile blissfully as they hug her back.

"Arigatou, Taiga-chan. Thank you for understanding." Yukari replied softly. She could feel Taiga nodding her head in response.

When the three pull themselves away from their hug, Takao looks back at Taiga and said, "Arigatou, Fujimura-sensei." Afterwards, he looks up at Satou and Matsumoto. "You too, Satou, Matsumoto. You guys really are my friends."

"It's nothing." Matsumoto said with a lopsided grin as he rubs the back of his head while Satou simply gave a cheerful smile to Takao.

Suddenly, the moment of happiness was rudely interrupted by the loud rumbling of Taiga's stomach, causing Takao and Yukari to laugh.

"I guess we completely forgotten about dinner, didn't we?" Yukari asked Takao.

"Hai." Takao said to Yukari before turning to Taiga. "Come on. Let's go find a restaurant…Tiger."

Taiga flinched for a moment, but kept a lopsided smirk on her face while her left brow twitched. "Sure, let's do that…Mr. Can't-keep-your-dick-in-your-pants."

"Huh?! What does that mean?!" Takao cried exasperatedly. Taiga, Yukari, Satou and Matsumoto all began laughing in response. Takao grumbled under his breath before turning to Yukari. As he sees his literature teacher burst into laughter and expressing her joy, Takao briefly smiled at her before he too began laughing with everyone, not caring about the puzzled reactions from the passers-by.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Dreamaholics and LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thank you!**


	11. Until Then

_**Until Then**_

"Akizuki Takao." The principal's voice boomed over the crowd of thousands of people attending Shinjuku High's senior graduation ceremony. The crowd applauded as Takao Akizuki, now wearing a full dark blue academic dress, walks up the stage.

Thanks to the lessons he had with Yukari and Taiga, Takao passed his second final exams and ended his senior year at Shinjuku High on a high note. And now, two weeks after the end of his final year in high school, Takao, along with Satou, Matsumoto and hundreds of his fellow senior year students are receiving their diplomas personally from the principal. Takao walks over to the principal and they both smile at each other as they shook hands.

"Well done, Akizuki." The principal said before presenting Takao his diploma.

"Arigatou." Takao replied. He takes the diploma from the principal's hands and they bow their heads to each other. The crowd applauded again as Takao departs from the stage with a huge smile on his face.

Takao walks back to his seat in the crowd. He sat down and turns his head to Satou and Matsumoto who both sat beside him, holding onto their own diplomas. The three friends smile and chuckle at each other before looking back at the stage. It took another few hours for the principal to finish distributing the diplomas to every graduating student before making his commencement speech to the school. Afterwards, Takao and every senior student get up from their seats and cheer loudly as they throw their graduation hats into the air.

The graduating students grab their hats and head over to the audience behind them to reunite with their respective families. Takao spots Reimi, Shouta and Rika and rushes over to them. Reimi, with a wide smile on her face, goes over to Takao and pulls him into a warm embrace.

"Congratulations, Takao. I am so proud of you." Reimi said as Takao hugs her back.

"Thank you mom. I'm so happy that you and Shouta are here to see me." Takao replied as he rests his chin on her shoulder. After pulling away from his hug with his mother, Takao looks up to see Shouta and Rika smiling at him.

"Good job, bro. You are now officially a grown man like me." Shouta said with his arm wrapped around his fiancée.

Takao chuckled as he gave a friendly pat on his brother's shoulder in response. "Thanks Shouta." He said.

"Well done, Takao." Rika said as she nodded to Takao.

"Arigatou." Takao replied to her.

"Akizuki." A familiar voice said. Takao turns around to see Hitomi standing behind him with her arms folded.

"Murasaki-sensei." Takao greeted as he bows his head to her. When he looks up, he sees a warm smile appearing on Hitomi's face.

"Congratulations on your graduation. I wish you good luck on your future endeavors." Hitomi said before extending her hand.

"Arigatou. I'm very grateful." Takao smiled at her as he shakes her hand. He releases her hand shortly after and watches Hitomi turned to the side and walks off.

"Akizuki!" Takao could hear Kitagawa calling out to him. He turns his head and sees him and Wakisaka walking over to him.

"Kitagawa, Wakisaka." Takao greeted them.

"Congrats Akizuki! Good luck with your future!" Kitagawa said to his teammate ecstatically as he and Wakisaka extend their hands.

"Good luck to the both of you too. Take care of the volleyball club and teach the freshmen well while I'm gone." Takao smiled as he shook their hands.

"We won't disappoint you." Kitagawa said as he and Wakisaka solemnly nod their heads.

"We're going to miss you, man." Wakisaka added with a wan smile.

Takao gave both of them a pat on the shoulder. "I'm proud to have known you both. So I'm going to miss you too. And as long as we recall what we had accomplished for our school, we will go far."

Kitagawa and Wakisaka nod their heads in agreement. The two wrap an arm around Takao before Wakisaka pulls out his phone and gestures them to take a picture with him. The three smile at the camera as Wakisaka takes a shot. After Wakisaka puts away his phone, he and Kitagawa each gave Takao a pat on the back.

"Goodbye Akizuki." Wakisaka said.

"Farewell." Kitagawa added.

"See you around, Kitagawa, Wakisaka." Takao replied. They wave goodbye to each other as Kitagawa and Wakisaka walk off.

"Akizuki!" Satou cried. Takao turns his head again to see Satou and Matsumoto rushing over to him. Takao laughed as he spreads his arms out and gave his friends a big embrace.

"We did it! We survived high school together!" Matsumoto said joyfully as he and Satou hug their friend back.

"Aye! Now let's keep working for a brighter future ahead of us!" Satou said.

"That's right." Takao agreed. As they pull themselves away from each other, Takao smiled at his friends and said, "Let us continue pursuing our goals moving forward. But no matter where we go from here, we will always keep in touch with each other. Won't we?"

"Of course! We will always be friends, right?" Matsumoto asked Takao with a grin while Satou nods her head. Takao smiled blissfully as he stares at them. Can his graduation get any more memorable than that?

"AKIZUKI!" Takao widens his eyes and lets out a soft gasp when he heard Taiga calling out to him. He turns to the direction of her voice and sees Taiga and Yukari smiling and waving their hands at him as they stood in the distance.

"Fujimura-sensei! Yukino-sensei!" Takao cried happily.

Reimi, Shouta, Rika, Satou and Matsumoto smile as they watch Takao run over to his teachers. Taiga and Yukari spread out their arms and gave Takao a warm embrace when he got near them. The three laugh cheerfully as they held onto each other.

"Congratulations, Akizuki! You did it! You have completed high school with flying colors!" Yukari said to her student.

"We are so proud of you!" Taiga added with a wide smile as she rubs Takao's back.

Takao backs away from the two teachers and smiled at them. "And I never would have done it, if it weren't for your help." He said before bowing down to Yukari and Taiga. "Arigatou."

Yukari and Taiga bow back at Takao before the three look back up and give each other another embrace. Yukari kept a blissful smile on her face as she hugs Takao closer. She had attended many graduation ceremonies before, but there has never been one quite like this.

* * *

Later that night, Shouta brought his relatives and fiancée to a restaurant in Shibuya to celebrate Takao's graduation. The four laugh and converse with each other as they eat their dinner to honor the special occasion. Even Reimi, who initially has a low opinion on Shouta's fiancée, enjoys her conversations with Rika and sees that she is surprisingly approachable.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" Shouta asked Takao when they finish eating their food.

"I sure do. This food really hits the spot." Takao said as he puts down his chopsticks and empty bowl.

Shouta chuckled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. But, we are not done yet."

"What do you mean?" Takao asked.

"Mom, why don't you do the honors?" Shouta asked Reimi. Takao questioningly turns to his mother and watches her pull out a sealed envelope from her handbag. Reimi smiled at Takao as she holds up the envelope to him. Takao widens his eyes and gapes his mouth open when he noticed the address.

"It's from the University of Florence! Take a look at what they had to say to you." Reimi coaxed.

Takao takes a deep breath. He has no idea what kind of response that one of the universities he had applied for would give to him. But no matter what the outcome is, he has to know. Takao takes the envelope from Reimi and opens it up. Reimi, Shouta and Rika eagerly watched Takao removes the letter from the envelope and unfolds it.

Takao read the letter for a brief moment before a huge smile suddenly takes form on his face.

"I've been accepted!" Takao cried enthusiastically as he looks back at them. Reimi, Shouta and Rika immediately clap their hands in joy and relief.

"Congratulations again, Takao!" Reimi said joyfully.

"Finally, you are able to travel to Italy where you can continue pursuing your dream in becoming a shoemaker." Shouta said to his brother with a wide smile.

"Right." Takao replied, smiling back at him and Rika. "I've always dreamed of learning shoemaking from one of the most fashionable countries in the world. Now that I've turn it into a reality, I won't let anyone down."

"Maybe when you return, you can make a beautiful pair of shoes for me." Rika said to Takao.

"Maybe I will, when you finally become an Akizuki." Takao responded. Rika and Shouta chuckled as the latter wraps an arm around his fiancée. Reimi grabs her cup of tea and holds it up in the air.

"Cheers to you, Takao! Here's hoping for a bright future ahead of you!" Reimi said to Takao. Takao, Shouta and Rika hold up their own cups as well.

"Arigatou!" Takao said before everyone around the table clink their cups together and gulp down their tea.

But as they all put their cups down on the table, Takao turns his head away as his smile distorts into a pensive frown. Although he is happy to know that he has been accepted by a prestigious university in Europe, he wondered how Yukari and Taiga would react to this, knowing that they may never see him again for a while.

* * *

The next night, Takao meets up with Yukari and Taiga at Shinjuku Station. They walk to Tai Feng's restaurant together to have their own celebration, and Takao decides to tell them the news after they finish their dinner. When they arrive there, they sat at their usual table and make their orders. Lenalee wrote down what they wish to eat on her notepad before she turns and heads to the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Tai Feng walks over to their table and places their food in front of them. Tai Feng congratulates Takao for his graduation and tells everyone to enjoy their dinner. Yukari, Taiga and Takao spend the rest of the night eating and conversing with each other, just like every other dinner they had together for the last two years. The three share the same sentiment as they cherish every moment of this.

' _This may be the happiest moment of my life.'_

When they finish eating their food, Yukari takes a deep breath and asked Takao, "Have you already planned for your future?"

"Yes." Takao replied with a nod. "Yesterday, I received a letter from the University of Florence."

"Ooh, Florence. That is in Italy, right?" Taiga asked with her eyes widened.

Takao nodded again. "They have accepted me…" He paused as his eyes softened. "And I'm moving there right after the New Year Celebrations. I'll definitely be majoring in shoemaking over there, as well as aiming for a bachelor's degree…" He sighed inwardly. "Which will take me about four years to do so."

Yukari elicits a heavy sigh. "Italy. That's really far away from Japan."

"Hai." Takao said softly. Everyone present at the table lower their heads and the three sat in silence for nearly a minute. Takao looks back up at his teachers and asked, "Will we still keep in touch with each other?"

"Yes!" Taiga replied as she and Yukari lift their heads up. "Of course we will!" She turns to Yukari and asked with a frown, "Right?"

Yukari nods her head to her friend before looking back at Takao. "Yes. But you still have to keep your promise that you will focus on your studies and nothing else."

Takkao gave Yukari a solemn nod. "I will." He vowed.

Taiga sniffed as tears began to form in her eyes. "We made so many fond memories together for the last two years, haven't we?" She asked hoarsely.

"Indeed." Yukari said softly. "We have learned and grown so much during that time."

"And now…" Taiga wipes away the tears from her eyes, but new ones were immediately formed and took their place. "It's time for one of us to walk a different path."

"Hey, don't be sad. I may be gone for the next four years, but we won't be apart forever, right?" Takao asked Taiga with a wan smile. "It's like you said, once I've accomplished my goals, I'll be allowed to see you both again."

Yukari places her hand on Taiga's back in an attempt to comfort her, although she too is also starting to have tears forming in her eyes. "He is right, Taiga-chan." Yukari paused for a moment to fight back her tears. "We will be together again…someday. As long as we keep our heads up and continue walking, our paths will lead us to each other again."

Taiga lowers her head and closes her eyelids, allowing her tears to flow freely down her cheeks. She took a heavy gulp before lifting her head up and said to Takao with tearstained eyes, "Please…don't ever forget us. Don't let the times we had together be for nothing."

Takao didn't realize that he too is now crying when he felt a tear splashing onto his hand. He wipes away his tears with his arm and replied, "Just wait a little longer…and we will see each other again."

Yukari slowly nods her head as she is unable to hold back her own tears any longer. She wraps an arm around Taiga, who immediately gave her a tight hug in return. As Taiga began sobbing onto Yukari's shoulder, Takao gets up from his seat and walks over to the teachers. He and Yukari wrap an arm around each other as well and the three pull themselves into an embrace.

Unbeknownst to them, Tai Feng, Izumo and Lenalee were standing at the kitchen, staring wordlessly at the three as they felt their hearts torn by the heart-rending sight before them. Takao, Yukari and Taiga sob as they cling onto each other tightly in an unsuccessful attempt to ease the pain that they are sharing.

* * *

 _ **4**_ _ **th**_ _ **January 2020…**_

Takao rose up from his bed at the wake of dawn. He looks out the room window and lets out a sigh. He never thought the day would finally come. He heads to the bathroom to take a shower, brush his teeth and change into his white shirt, light brown jacket and dark grey pants. He heads to the kitchen where Shouta is waiting for him and Reimi had finished preparing their food. They had their last breakfast together before Takao grabs his luggage, wears his light brown shoes and leaves the apartment with his brother and mother.

They got into their car and Shouta drives them to Haneda Airport. During the journey, Takao opens his sketchbook and finds the shoe design that Yukari selected during their trip to Gotemba, which he had since circled around it. After staring at it for a few seconds, Takao flips through the pages again and sees the measurements and outline of Yukari's foot which he had written and drawn after the dinner he had with his teachers. A memory immediately plays inside his head as he recalled that night.

 _Yukari removes her right high heel shoe and puts it aside. She holds up her foot to Takao who is already kneeling in front of her. Takao gently wraps his hand around her foot and uses his set square and measuring tape to measure it. After writing down the measurements, he instructs Yukari to stand up and place her foot on the blank page of his sketchbook which he had placed on the floor. Yukari obliged and she watched Takao slowly draw along and around her foot with his pencil. He looks up and sees the warm smile plastered across Yukari's face, as well as noticing Taiga leaning forward and looking back at him in awe._

" _When you are able to fulfil your promise," Yukari spoke up as Takao looked straight into her eyes. "Hand over those shoes personally to me."_

Takao closes his sketchbook, leans back on his seat and looks up at the ceiling. "Yes, I will." He murmured.

Eventually, the Akizukis arrived at Haneda Airport and Shouta drove to the carpark. After their car is parked, the Akizukis got out and Shouta helps remove his brother's luggage from the back of his car. When Shouta gently places his luggage down on the road, Takao heard his phone ringing. He gets it out from his pocket and sees that he had received a message from Matsumoto. He unlocks his phone and plays the video he and Satou had recorded at Tokyo Station just a minute ago.

"Hello Takao!" Matsumoto and Satou greeted as they wave their hands at the camera. The former is holding up his phone as he records their message. Takao notices that his friends are currently wearing long-sleeved jackets and scarves around their necks, making him remember that Satou and Matsumoto are moving to Hokkaido to study in Hokusei Gakuen University together.

"We are about to board our train to Sapporo soon. But we just want to say good luck with your studies in Italy." Matsumoto said with a smirk.

"Don't forget to keep in touch with us!" Satou said cheerfully. Matsumoto gave a thumbs-up to the camera right before he stops recording. Takao smiled at his phone and types a message in response.

' _Good luck to the both of you as well. See you again soon!'_

After sending his message, Takao puts away his phone into his pocket. He places his sketchbook inside his luggage before he and his relatives took the elevator up to the departure hall.

They head over to the check-in counters of Takao's flight. When they arrive there, the Akizukis were surprised to see two familiar figures waiting for them there. Takao's eyes widened and a huge smile takes form on his face as he sees the two women waving their hands at him.

"Yukino! Fujimura!" He cried.

"Akizuki!" Yukari said as she and Taiga lower their hands.

"Aren't they your teachers?" Shouta asked his brother.

"Hai. Can you give me a minute?" Takao asked his relatives.

"Very well." Reimi nodded.

"Arigatou." Takao said to his brother and mother before he leaves his luggage with Shouta and walks over to Yukari and Taiga. "It's nice to see you two here."

"Likewise. We wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to give our farewells to you." Taiga said.

"Good luck with your future endeavors, and don't forget what I told you." Yukari said. Takao nods his head in response. Yukari smiled warmly at him as she added, "For the last two years, you have achieved so much by walking alongside us. Now, we are confident that you'll be able to do the same again on your own."

"Thank you so much for everything. I promise to keep in touch with you two on my progress." Takao said.

"And we'll be waiting for your return." Taiga winks an eye at him.

"We wish you all the best." Yukari said to Takao.

"Take care of yourself. I strongly believe that you will go far." Taiga said as she gave a thumbs-up to him.

Takao smiles at them one last time before turning his head to his family behind him. He looks back at his teachers and said, "Well, I don't want to keep my family waiting. Goodbye."

"Farewell." Taiga said as she and Yukari wave their hands again. Takao waves back at them before he turns around and walks over to his family.

"Are you ready?" Shouta asked.

"Yeah." Takao nods his head before grabbing the handle of his luggage.

Yukari and Taiga quietly watch Takao and his family making their way to one of the check-in counters. Takao shows his passport to the agent before handing his luggage over to her. The agent gave him his ticket and the Akizukis make their way to the gate. Taiga gestures Yukari to follow them.

When they arrive at the gate, Yukari and Taiga stood in the distance and watch Takao giving his farewells to his brother and mother.

"I'll contact you when I arrive at Italy. Please look out for each other while I'm gone." Takao said to Shouta and Reimi.

"You have grown so much, Takao. I love you." Reimi said, giving her son a wide smile.

Takao smiled back at his mother and said, "I love you too, mom. And you'll be fine. I know you haven't lost your spirit." He and Reimi proceed to give each other a warm embrace. After pulling away from their hug, Takao turns to Shouta who is also smiling at him.

"See you again soon, bro." Shouta said as he extends his hand out.

"Don't worry. I'll pay you guys a visit again during your marriage with Rika." Takao said to his older brother before grabbing his hand. To his surprise, Shouta pulls Takao over and gives him an embrace. The two brothers laugh cheerfully as Shouta ruffles his hair.

After releasing his younger brother, Shouta places his hand on Takao's shoulder and said to him, "Good luck, Takao."

"Arigatou." Takao replied. With that, Takao waves goodbye to his mother and brother, turns around and walks over to the immigration officer standing in front of the gate.

Yukari lowers her head, knowing that this is the last time she will ever see Takao in a while. She and Taiga did give him their best wishes, but is that it? Is that really the best farewell they can give to him before he leaves Japan? After everything they had been through together, is this how they are going to end it all?

No. She won't let it.

As she lifts her head back up, Yukari is able to grab hold of her senses and lets out a doleful cry to her student. "Akizuki!"

Takao immediately stops at his tracks. With his eyes wide, he turns around to find Yukari running over to him. She runs past Shouta and Reimi, not caring about the bewildered looks on their faces. And when she got near him, Yukari spreads her arms out and throws herself over to Takao, giving him a tight embrace as she rests her chin on his shoulder.

Yukari sniffed as tears form in her eyes. "No matter how far you are, I will always remember you." She said right into Takao's ear.

Takao stares blankly into space for a moment before he closes his eyelids and hugs his teacher back. "Wait for me, Yukino-san. I will come back to you. I promise." He replied. The two pull away from their hug and smile weakly at each other as Takao gently wipes away the tears from Yukari's eyes.

"Now go. Work hard, and fulfil your dreams." Yukari said encouragingly to him.

Takao nods his head and gives Yukari a gentle pat on her shoulder. He turns around and walks over to the immigration officer. As the officer checks his passport, Takao looks back at his family and teachers one last time and watched them wave their hands goodbye to him. Takao waves back at them before he turns to the officer who returns his passport to him. Takao walks past through the gate and finally makes his departure.

Yukari frowns and lowers her head again as Takao vanished from her sight. Shouta, Reimi and Taiga walk over to her and the latter places her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be fine on his own." Shouta said to Yukari reassuringly. Yukari looks up at him and nods her head.

"I know." She replied softly. She turns her head to Taiga who gave her a warm smile. Yukari looks back at the gate and thought somberly to herself, _'Is it over?'_

Yukari wipes away her tears as her distressed frown is quickly replaced with a confident smile. _'No. As long as I don't forget him, we will see each other again.'_

* * *

After passing through another immigration officer, Takao now finds himself in the middle of the departure lounge. He frowns as he turns his head back, knowing that he won't be seeing Yukari and Taiga again for the next four years. Even though he is only separated from them by the gate for now, Takao is already starting to feel the long distance between them.

He gets out his phone for a moment and opens up a photo that he took a few years ago. It is a picture of him, Yukari and Taiga all smiling gleefully as they sat together under the wooden shelter in Shinjuku Gyo-en during that winter season.

Takao simply smiled as he stares at the picture for a few moments. After putting away his phone, he turns to the direction to the boarding gate for his flight and begins walking his way there.

With a determined smile now plastered across his face, Takao thought to himself,

' _As long as I keep moving forward, I know my path will take me back to her.'_

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Dreamaholics and LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story.**

 **Stay tune, everyone! The story may seem like it's over, but there is still an epilogue after this.**

Chapter revised on 2nd June 2019


	12. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

In 6th January 2020, Takao Akizuki began studying at the University of Florence in Italy. To pursue his dream of becoming a shoemaker, Takao attends the department of painting and majors in a shoemaking curriculum. He developed new friendships with his fellow students and teachers on his own in his new school, and thanks to the skills and methods he learned from his shoemaking class, he is able to apply the skills and methods he had developed onto crafting the dream shoes he promised to make for Yukari every night in his dormitory.

Of course, despite making new friends, he never forgets the relationships he formed at Shinjuku High. From time to time, he keeps in touch with Satou, Matsumoto, Taiga and Yukari through e-mails and text messages. But as part of his promise to his former teachers, Takao completely avoid bringing up personal issues with Yukari and Taiga and only notifies them on the progress he had made in his university.

Every year, Takao does take one or two week-long breaks from his studies to return back to Tokyo and reunite with his friends and relatives. But again, as part of his promise of only returning to his former literature teacher after achieving his goals, Takao avoided meeting with Yukari and Taiga during all of his trips back to his hometown.

In July 2021, Takao briefly reunites with Satou, Matsumoto and his former volleyball club teammates to attend a volleyball match at the Tokyo Olympic Games to show their support for Jiro Sawada who had accomplished his dream of becoming an athlete and was selected to be a member of Japan's men's volleyball team at the world's greatest sporting event.

In October 2021, Takao returns to Shinjuku again to attend Shouta and Rika's wedding. Reimi was also present at the occasion and she and Takao warmly welcome Rika in becoming the newest member of the Akizuki family. Shouta said that his wedding with Rika is the happiest moment of his life.

For the next four years during his time in Italy, Takao does feel some despondency every day, longing for the moment he could personally see Yukari and Taiga again. But nevertheless, he still kept his confidence, constantly reminding himself that as long as his feelings for Yukari remain the same, he will surely see them again.

In 6th January 2020, Satou and Matsumoto spend the next four years living in Sapporo as they attend Hokusei Gakuen University together. Their relationship continued to blossom during their time in university and eventually, in 2022, when they reunite with Takao in Tokyo again during their break from their studies, they confess to him that they are now dating, much to his delight. During their reunion, Takao also discuss with them that he wish to start up his own shoemaking company after graduation. To his surprise, Matsumoto and Satou agree to work alongside him, the former desire to be his manager and the latter wanting to be their secretary. Takao couldn't express how grateful he is towards his friends and the three made a vow to each other that after their graduations, they will work together for many years to come.

Since moving to Chuo, Shouko Aizawa continued training herself as a Para-Equestrian athlete. During her time at the training facilities, she developed a crush on the team's physiotherapist named Einosuke. While she initially had doubts after her experiences with Shinji and Wataru, Aizawa eventually confesses to Einosuke her love for him. To her surprise, he accepts her and they both share a wonderful relationship since. She also moves into Einosuke's apartment and live with him. In June 2021, Aizawa is selected by the Equestrian Federation to represent her country at the Paralympics, and a few months later, she won a silver medal at the competition. She went on to participate in several Equestrian competitions around the world ever since, and she is currently preparing herself for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

Shortly after her younger son left for Italy, Reimi Akizuki began finding a full-time job. With help from Shouta, Reimi is able to land a job as an administrative worker for a tech company. Eventually, like her former husband, she would be sent on business trips to various cities and countries to help her company promote their products in events and conventions, which is the closest she ever been in achieving her dream of travelling around the world. In October 2021, Reimi began living on her own after Shouta moved out of the apartment to live with his newly-wed wife. But despite not having the presence of her sons, Reimi doesn't feel sad and hopeless anymore.

Taiga Fujimura continues teaching at Shinjuku High. She still maintains her friendship with Yukari Yukino, and every year in October, she would always bake a cake, which she had learnt from Satou, for themselves to celebrate their anniversary. She also continues to maintain a low opinion from Hitomi Murasaki for her repeated clumsiness. But knowing that Takao is able to mend his relationship with her through his time at the volleyball club, Taiga decides to do the same as well by having lunch with Hitomi from time to time, and they gradually grow to accept one another. Every now and then, Taiga does miss her times with Takao Akizuki. But whenever she does feel lonely, she would always turn to Yukari or pay visits to her brother in Minato. In August 2021, Taiga and Yukari went to Tokyo Equestrian Park to show their support for Aizawa at the Paralympic Games and they proudly bear witness of her earning a silver medal for Japan.

Like her friend, Yukari Yukino also continues teaching at Shinjuku High. She continues to aspire many students to achieve their goals and become better people as they are about to enter society. The latest group of senior students she taught even held a farewell party with her at the end of the school year. In December 2022, Yukari attended the wedding of a former student she taught back in Itomori named Mitsuha Miyamizu. During the reception dinner, Mitsuha shared Yukari her story of how she fell in love with her newlywed husband, Taki Tachibana, and hopes that one day, her former teacher can find the one whom she is destined to be with forever. The words of her former student remind Yukari how much she yearns to hear his voice again.

Every now and then, her mother, friends and fellow teachers would remind her to settle down, especially when she is about to reach the age of 40. But she would always answer them by saying that she will 'when the time is right'. And indeed, that rings true. It is often said that a teacher would usually forget the people they taught. But for Yukari, even as the seasons go by, and even as students and staff in Shinjuku High come and gone, her feelings for Takao Akizuki never fade. Every day during and after work, she and Taiga reminisce the times they had with him together. And every night before she goes to bed, she would always look out the window of her room, wondering how he is doing right now. But she also reminds herself daily that as long as she never forgets him, she and Takao will surely see each other again someday.

And to her joy, that day eventually arrive.

In December 2023, Takao Akizuki graduated from the University of Florence with a major in painting and shoemaking and a Bachelor's degree. And only a few days after his graduation, he returns back to Tokyo, Japan.

Upon arriving at Haneda Airport, Takao was not only greeted by his family, but also Satou, Matsumoto, Taiga and Yukari. Both Yukari and Takao especially burst into tears of joy upon seeing each other again after all these years. They all went to Tai Feng's restaurant to celebrate his graduation and their reunion. Even Tai Feng, Izumo and Lenalee are overwhelmed with joy to see Takao again after a long time. During the dinner, Yukari and Reimi got to know more about each other, the latter amused to know that her son's former teacher is a drinker despite not being a heavy alcoholic like she used to be anymore. Takao, Satou and Matsumoto even remember the promise they made together and are already discussing plans on how to open their business and keep it running for many years to come. When they finish their dinner, Takao and Yukari also confess to Reimi, Shouta and Rika that they would like to enter a relationship with each other. While there were initially some doubts, Reimi and Shouta ultimately allowed Takao to do so, much to his and Yukari's delight.

In the first week of January 2024, Takao and Yukari finally had their first official date, even though ironically, they already had known a lot of each other during the two years they spent together at Shinjuku High. They went to Shinjuku Gyo-en and sat under the same wooden shelter where they rest during that winter season of 2018. Upon arriving there, Takao finally hands Yukari her dream shoes, which he made during his time in Italy. As her way of expressing her gratitude, Yukari gave Takao a kiss on his cheek, much to his surprise. It is the first kiss he had ever received from her. During their time in the shelter, they reminisce all the times they had together and discuss what they plan to do in the future. Of course, Yukari will continue her job as a teacher in Shinjuku High while Takao will start a shoemaking business of his own with his friends.

But that wasn't all. Yukari admits to Takao that she wish to get married later this year. She thought about what her mother, friends and Mitsuha said about settling down. She agrees with them, and it is why she wants to be engaged with Takao. Takao felt he was caught off guard at first, but knowing that his feelings for Yukari never changed after all this time, he agrees to her proposal. They later visited Yukari's mother, who is delighted to see Takao again. After some discussions with her, Yukari's mother allowed her daughter and Takao to be engaged. They also discuss their plans to Reimi and Shouta who both agreed as well.

Takao and Yukari would continue having dates together for the next seven weeks. And in 3rd February 2024, Takao, Satou and Matsumoto finally opened their shoemaking company in Toshima and plan to expand their business across Tokyo Metropolis moving forward. Finally, in the third week of February 2024, Takao proposes Yukari to marry him, which she graciously accepts.

* * *

In the first week of March, Takao and Yukari finally got married in a church in Shinjuku. The people who bear witness to their special occasion are Taiga, her brother, Yukari's mother, Reimi, Shouta, Rika, Satou, Matsumoto, Tai Feng, Izumo, Lenalee, her boyfriend Allen, Hitomi, Kenta Sasaki, Jiro, all of Takao's former volleyball club teammates including Kitagawa, Wakisaka and Kaneishi, many of Yukari's fellow teachers in Shinjuku High, Aizawa, Einosuke, Kasumi Kinomoto dressed in her shrine maiden robes, Taki Tachibana, his father Seiji, and many former residents of Itomori who have known Yukari including Mitsuha Miyamizu, Hitoha Miyamizu, Toshiki Miyamizu, Sayaka Natori, Katsuhiko Teshigawara and Shuichi.

Takao and Yukari smiled at each other as the latter walks over to her soon-to-be husband standing in front of the podium and priest, while wearing an elegant white wedding dress and the pink and orange shoes which Takao made for her. As she stood beside him, Takao and Yukari gently grab each other's hands and they turn their heads to the priest. After making their solemn vows, Takao and Yukari turn and smile blissfully at each other as Matsumoto walks up to the groom. He hands Takao a small box before going back to his seat.

Takao kneels down on a knee and opens the box, revealing a shiny diamond ring to Yukari. Yukari lets out a small gasp before Takao removes the ring and insert it through her finger. He gets up and puts away the box into his pocket. The two wordlessly smile at each other again before they close their eyes and kiss.

Immediately, everyone in the audience gets up from their seats and delivers a standing ovation to the newlywed couple. Reimi sniffed and momentarily wipes away the tears of joy from her eyes before she continued clapping. Shouta, Rika, Taiga, Satou and Matsumoto all smile blissfully as they applaud. Taki, Mitsuha, Hitoha and Kasumi, who are at the front row of the left side of the church, also smile and clap as the members of the Miyamizu Shrine are happy to see another fellow Itomori resident found her love and happiness.

Takao and Yukari break away from their kiss a few moments later. They smile at each other again as they share the same sentiment together.

' _As long as we have each other, we can walk to the ends of the Earth.'_

 _The End_

* * *

 **Song Suggestion:**

 _Garnet by Hanako Oku_ **(While reading the epilogue and before the wedding.)**

 _A Rainy Morning (Epilogue) by Kashiwa Daisuke_ **(During the wedding)**

* * *

 **Sovereign: And with that,** _ **'To Walk Again'**_ **officially comes to an end. I might write a special side-story related to the story's events (Similar to** _ **'Acceptance'**_ **being related to** _ **'Being With You'**_ **), but for all intents, this story is officially complete. I really want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story, especially LayLay lives, Dreamaholics and Crimson-Tuna-Sub who have shown their support for this story from the beginning to the end. Thanks everyone!**

 **I shall now take a break from writing. And when I do return, not only will I continue on with** _ **'Dawn of Arcadia'**_ **, but also start working on a brand new story. Until next time, thanks again to everyone who has read this story.**

Chapter Revised on 25th March 2020


	13. Side-Story: A New Path

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This side-story takes place between the events of chapter 11 and the epilogue. If you haven't read those chapters yet, you will be very confused with this side-story. If you have, then I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **A New Path**_

" _Good morning everyone! Today is the second of January, 2022. I hope everyone is enjoying their Japanese New Year celebrations so far. And what great weather do we have for the second day of the New Year! Even though the temperature remains below 20 degrees, all parts of Eastern Tokyo will be bright and sunny from day to night today. So if anyone is planning to do some shopping or simply have a nice walk around the city, you'll be happy to know that today is a wonderful day to do so!"_

Yukari smiled as she heard the weather forecaster speaking cheerfully on television while she is almost done cooking an egg omelette for her mother. When she finished, she turns off the stove and gently places the omelette over a plate of rice. She puts the frying pan aside and picks up the two plates of omelette rice she made for her mother and herself.

"Mom! Breakfast is ready!" Yukari calls out to her as she walks out of the kitchen. Yukari's mother lowers the volume of the television before she gets up from the couch and walks over to her daughter who placed their food onto the dining table.

Both Yukari and her mother sat down and clap their hands together. "Itadakimasu!" They cheered before they begin to eat.

When they finish eating their breakfast, Yukari picks up the empty plates and walks back to the kitchen. As she cleans the plates at the sink, her mother walks up to her.

"Are you planning to do anything today, dear?" Her mother asked.

"Well, I'm thinking of visiting the Miyamizu Shrine today to pray. I wish the Miyamizu Shrine's God will continue to look out for us throughout the year." Yukari replied.

"That's good. Give Miyamizu-sama my regards during your visit." Yukari's mother smiled.

"No problem." Yukari said. Suddenly, they both heard the doorbell.

"Oh, who could it be early in the morning?" Yukari's mother asked as she and her daughter turn to the kitchen doorway.

"I wonder too. I didn't make any online deliveries lately." Yukari commented as she turns off the sink and places the clean plates aside. She leaves the kitchen and walks over to the main door. She pushes a strand of hair away from her eyes before she unlocks the main door and opens it.

As soon as she opens it, Yukari widens her eyes and drops her jaw in surprise. The person who is standing before her now isn't a deliveryman, but rather someone awfully familiar from her past. The man has short black hair, black eyes and stubbles above his lips and under his chin. He is currently dressed in a grey zipper jacket with a white shirt underneath, grey trousers and white shoes.

As the man looks back at Yukari with sad eyes, he lets out a sigh and greets her, "Good morning, Yukino-san."

After staring at the man for a few more moments, Yukari takes a gulp and finally wrenches enough control of her vocal cords to reply to him, "Itou."

* * *

After inviting the man into her home, Yukari gestures Itou to sit at the dining table while her mother goes to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for their guest. Yukari heads into her room and picks up her phone from the table beside her bed to call her friend.

"Moshi Moshi, Yukari-chan!" Taiga greeted from the other side of the line.

"Hello, Taiga." Yukari replied. "There's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" Taiga asked.

"It's Itou. He's here in my apartment." Yukari said.

"Ah, so he found your address."

"Yeah, he told me that it was you who told him where I live. Is that true?"

Yukari could hear Taiga chuckling at the other side. "Yes, it's true. Yesterday, Itou called me up asking where you live because you have since changed your phone number."

' _He still kept my number after all these years.'_ Yukari thought as her eyes softened.

"So he called me up since I'm the only person left in Tokyo whom he still has contact with." Taiga continued. "He asked me where you live because he wants to see you. He sounded very sad, as if he has been through a lot, so I actually do feel some sympathy and told him your address."

"I see." Yukari said softly.

"Yukari-chan, I know the relationship between you and Itou ended really badly, and I'm sure it's something you don't want to be reminded again. But I think you should try to talk with him. He seems really down so you should at least learn what's going through his head right now. Who knows? Maybe talking to him will finally help give you a peace-of-mind." Taiga said solemnly.

Yukari's lips curved into a wan smile. "You might be right. Arigatou, Taiga-chan."

"No problem, Yukari-chan! Good luck!" Taiga replied cheerfully before hanging up her phone. Yukari chuckled as she places her phone back down on the table. She folds her arms and lets out a heavy sigh, standing there quietly for a moment before she turns to door and walks out of her room.

Itou takes a sip of his tea before he turns to Yukari's mother and gives her a nod. "Arigatou." He said to her.

"You're welcome." Her mother replied just as Yukari walks over to the table. "So who are you exactly? A friend of my daughter?"

"I guess you can say that." Itou said softly as he places his cup down.

"Mom, this is Souichirou Itou." Yukari said to her mother as she takes a seat and sits in front of Itou. "He is…" She paused for a moment as some bad memories return inside her head. After regaining her senses, Yukari continued, "A former co-worker of mine."

"Yes." Itou said to her mother. "We used to work together at Shinjuku High."

"Ah, you are a former teacher." Her mother responded to him.

"Hai." Itou nods his head. "But I have since left and landed another job."

"I see. Well, at least it's nice to see two former colleagues reuniting with each other again after a long time." Her mother smiled. Yukari and Itou turn to each other and frown, knowing that she isn't completely right about what she said. "Now then, I'll leave you two alone for a while. Oh and Yukari, since you are going to Ikebukuro later, maybe you two can have a walk around the city to catch up with each other?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Thanks, mom." Yukari said to her mother with a wan smile. Her mother turns around and walks back to her room.

Yukari and Itou sat together in the dining area for what seems to be an awfully long period of silence. Finally, not wanting to maintain this awkward silence any longer, Yukari spoke up with a frown, "Why are you here, Itou? I heard from Taiga that you moved to Sapporo with someone else."

"Yes, she was right. I got into a relationship with a colleague of mine. She was a former classmate who went to the same school as me. After graduating from a university in Cuba, she came back to Japan and I happen to reunite with her. We both started dating with each other…after you left Shinjuku High. One year after you left, I leave the school as well so that Natsumi and I can move to Sapporo to continue our relationship and start a new life together. And two years later, we both got married." Itou explained.

"Congratulations." Yukari said softly.

"No. Don't say that." Itou shakes his head sadly.

Yukari stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"I honestly thought my relationship with Natsumi was going smoothly…" Itou said, his voice now sounding somber. "But just last month, after nearly five years of marriage, Natsumi and I divorced."

"What happened?" Yukari asked incredulously.

"Natsumi got pregnant two months ago. I thought knowing that we're finally going to have a child of our own would be the happiest day of our lives. But when we paid a visit to the hospital, I was shocked to learn from the doctor that the baby does not have my DNA." Itou explained.

"Which means…" Yukari said. Itou nods his head to her.

"My wife was actually pregnant with another man." Itou said grimly. "She had an affair behind my back the whole time, and I was both horrified and heartbroken. When I confronted her why she kept secrets from me, she said that for the last five years, I never cared about her. I was always so focused on my new job as a real estate agent, and whenever my wife needs me desperately, I refused to help her in any way, thinking that she can handle it herself. She grew frustrated and depressed over our relationship, and that's why she ended up falling in love with a co-worker of hers."

"I'm so sorry that all of this happened to you." Yukari said as her eyes softened.

Itou clenched his fists tightly. "Of course I was furious with her that she had fallen in love with someone else…but at the same time, I feel ashamed…knowing that what she said to me is the truth. I never cared about anyone."

"Itou." Yukari uttered.

"When you got into trouble at Shinjuku High that day, I never stood by your side and defend you from your detractors. You were completely helpless, yet I did nothing. I let you deal with your problems when you have no idea what to do. Some boyfriend I was." Itou said hoarsely. "And now, I made the same mistake all over again with another woman. I truly am a horrible person."

"So why are you here now?" Yukari asked.

"Shortly after learning every secret that Natsumi had kept from me, we divorced, and I spent the last seven weeks living on my own, in a small rundown apartment. I spent the entire Christmas season in misery, even cried for a while, trying to figure out what I've done wrong. Eventually, I remembered you. I never helped you that day when you needed me the most, and now this is God's punishment to me for what I've done." Itou explained. "So I was wondering…"

Yukari lets out a soft gasp as Itou places his hand on top of hers.

"Can we get back together? Just like we were meant to?" He asked.

Yukari stared wordlessly at Itou's hand for a moment, as so many emotions came flooding inside her right now. This is it. This could be her chance to start all over with her former boyfriend. She was upset that Itou completely disown her after the scandal that got her fired in the first place. Since then, she thought about Itou, clinging onto whatever hope she had that they may someday reconcile. But those dreams vanished when Taiga told her the truth that Itou had since married another woman after her departure from Tokyo. But finally, after so long, Itou has returned into her life, and he is willing to give her another chance. Yukari can finally reunite with the man she thought of so much.

However, at the same time, Yukari recollects the events that had happen to her after she left Shinjuku High. She has since gotten a new job where she made new friends to fill in the hole that the incident left in her heart. And it is thanks to her new friends, she had regained her strength and self-confidence to forget about the past and move forward again. She even got back her job at Shinjuku High, reunite with Taiga and Hitomi, reconcile with Aizawa and even meet and fall in love with Takao.

Yukari couldn't believe how many wonderful things have happened to her after the incident, and she never looked back ever since. And now, Itou has returned to Tokyo, hoping to have a relationship with her again.

But now that she thought about Takao and how she had since moved on from the incident, Yukari couldn't help but contemplate. Is she really willing to have a relationship with someone from her past again? If she were to accept Itou's request, then what does everything that had happened to her after the incident really mean after all? Is she just going to forget about the people who helped her regain her self-confidence, and her relationship with Takao, just to be with Itou all over again? Did she truly never get over her past at all?

Yukari lets out a heavy sigh. After much thought and consideration, Yukari looks back up at Itou and told him straight into his face.

"I'm sorry." Yukari said. Itou widens his eyes as Yukari removes her hand from underneath his. "Itou, I know how you feel. I know you want something to replace what you have lost, which is why you look back to your past. However…I'm not like you. I'm not under the shackles of my past anymore. I've moved on."

Itou stares incredulously at Yukari from a moment before tears begin to brim in his eyes. He nods his head and said hoarsely, "Let me guess. You're now in a relationship with someone else."

"That's right." Yukari nodded.

"I understand." Itou said. He tries to get up from his chair but Yukari swiftly grabs his arm. The man looks back at her in surprise.

"Where are you going?" Yukari asked.

"I'm sorry it's just…" Itou took a gulp and wipes away his tears. "Now that you have moved on…I have no one else left in my life."

"That's not true." Yukari tried to reassure him.

"No it is!" Itou cried as he sat back down. "My parents have since passed, I never cared about you and even my own students, and it is my own fault that Natsumi and I broke up. I seriously have no one to turn to anymore!" Itou sobbed as he tried to fight back the urge to cry. "It's all over for me."

"Itou, please. Get a hold of yourself." Yukari said to him firmly. After wiping away a few loose tears, Itou looks back at Yukari and the two silently stare at each other for a moment. Yukari gave Itou a weak smile as she gives a gentle pat on his hand. "Itou…I'm sorry that so many awful things have happened to you for the last two months. You are now overwhelmed with sorrow and regret, to the point that you have no idea what you want to do now moving forward. But you can't give up. The Itou I know back at Shinjuku High was a man who is strict, resilient and full of pride and confidence. So where is that spirit now?"

Itou lowers his head and stares down at the desk. "I've lost it." He replied somberly.

"If you think you have, then let me help you regain it." Yukari said. Itou widens his eyes and looks back at Yukari, seeing the determined look on her face.

"Yukino…" Itou uttered.

"Come along with me. I know the perfect place where you can remove all of your doubts away." Yukari said.

"Where are we going?" Itou asked. Yukari's smile widened.

"The Miyamizu Shrine."

* * *

Yukari and Itou sat together on a train as they travel to Ikebukuro. During the ride, Yukari shared with Itou all the times she had since she left Tokyo eight years ago. Itou was amazed to learn that Yukari spent her time travelling around the world and doing all sorts of activities with her new friends to overcome her depression, such as tasting wine in Bordeaux, driving through deserts in Western Australia and hiking mountains in Tierra del Fuego. Of course she never told him what they actually did there. Otherwise, he would be completely dumbfounded. What she also did tell him though is that through these travels, she realized that her spirit and self-confidence never left, and it convinced her to return to Tokyo to work as a teacher again.

"So you're working at Shinjuku High again, huh?" Itou asked.

"Yes. Even after all these years, my passion for teaching and inspiring others to become better people never left." Yukari replied.

"I remember my time as a teacher…I was pretty rough back then. Looking back now, I wish I never stopped being soft and kind like you." Itou said dejectedly. Yukari gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder.

When they arrived at Ikebukuro Station, Yukari and Itou stepped out of the train. The two walk through the station until they step out through the exit. Itou widens his eyes and examines his surroundings in awe upon leaving the station. The district is huge, consisted of many office buildings and shopping malls and crowded with over thousands of people.

"You seem amazed by all of this." Yukari said to Itou in amusement.

Itou chuckled as he rubs the back of his neck. "It's been so long since I walked around Tokyo. So everything in this city looks new to me all over again."

"I assume Sapporo is smaller compared to this?" Yukari asked.

"Do you even need an answer for that?" Itou replied. The two laughed as they walk their way to the pedestrian crossing. When the cars came to a halt and the pedestrian light turn green, Yukari, Itou and several people walk their way to the other side of the road.

When they arrive at the middle of the crossing however, Itou accidentally bump into a woman by her left shoulder. She groans in annoyance and both Itou and Yukari turn around to the woman and her muscular boyfriend.

"I'm so sorry." Itou bows his head apologetically to them before he and Yukari turn back to the front.

"Ugh! That really hurts!" The woman cried as she rubs her shoulder. She turns to her boyfriend and nudges him on his arm. "Hey! Deal with that bastard!"

"Huh?" Her boyfriend replied stupidly to her.

"Make him grovel and beg for his life, dumbass!" The woman shouted at him as she stomps her foot.

"Okay, geez!" The boyfriend replied in annoyance as he hastily walks over to Itou and Yukari who just crossed the road and stepped onto the pavement. "HEY!"

Itou and Yukari whirled about to the muscular man. While Itou began to look worried, Yukari remained calm and kept a solemn frown. When he approached them, the muscular man gave a rough push on Itou's shoulder, causing Yukari to quickly place her hands protectively on her colleague's shoulders.

"You owe my girlfriend a god damn apology!" The man barked at Itou.

Itou trembled before the man who is about five inches taller than him, and he tried to bow his head to plead for mercy. "I-I-I'm so-"

Suddenly, Yukari holds up her arm in front of Itou, cutting him off. Itou looks back up in surprise as Yukari glares at the muscular man before her. "Sir, even if we owe you a proper apology, using violence on us is never the diplomatic way to resolve such a trivial matter." She responded calmly.

"Shut yer mouth!" The muscular man yelled at Yukari before pointing his finger threateningly at Itou. "This sneaky asshole hurt my girlfriend and walks off like it ain't worth shit. Someone owes us a god damn apology!"

"Damn straight!" His girlfriend yelled furiously while standing behind him. Yukari snorted in response.

"Please don't talk to us like that. Just don't." Yukari scoffed at the man. She gave a pat on Itou's back, gesturing him to turn around. "Let's go."

"Hey! Don't turn your back on us, assholes!" The man shouted at them as Yukari and Itou turn around and depart.

"Get him! Take that bastard down!" His girlfriend shouted as she points her finger at Itou.

The muscular man proceeds to swing his fist at the back of Itou's head. But suddenly, Yukari whirled about and shoves the man's fist away. The muscular man looked surprised for less than a second before Yukari swiftly swings her fist across his face. Her punch sends the man turning around and Yukari takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck. Itou, the man's girlfriend and several bystanders all look equally stunned to see Yukari possessing the strength and agility equivalent to the mixed martial artist.

The muscular man choked and gasped for air. He wraps his hands around Yukari's arms, trying to pull them off. But Yukari firmly kept her grip around his neck and manages to get him down on his knees.

"Oh my God, please! Let him go!" The man's girlfriend cried in horror as she also fell on her knees. She bows down to Yukari and plants her face and hands on the road as she begs for mercy and forgiveness. "Please! Stop hurting him! We're so sorry, just let him go!"

After hearing the pleas from the helpless woman, Yukari releases her arms around the man's neck. The man gasped in pain and began taking deep breaths as he quickly gets up and staggers away from Yukari. As he approaches his girlfriend, the woman got up and wraps her arm around his back.

"Are you okay? Breathe!" The girlfriend said to the man.

"If you two are done wasting our time, I suggest you go away." Yukari said to them flatly. "Now."

"Yes! Yes! Of course!" The girlfriend replied to her in sheer terror before she and the man quickly cross the road just as the pedestrian light is about to turn red.

As the bystanders casually go back to their business, Yukari turns to Itou and sees the incredulous look on his face. Yukari chuckled as she places her hands behind her back.

"I forgot to mention, my friends also taught me self-defense during our travels together." She said.

Itou manages to crack a smile after slowly regaining his senses. "Can you teach me some of that?"

Yukari laughed in response. She wraps her arm around Itou and the two continue walking through the streets of Ikebukuro.

* * *

At the courtyard of a small traditional shrine located in the middle of a district, a young red-haired woman, dressed in a white haori and red hakama, hums to herself as she brushes off the stray leaves on the ground with a bamboo broom. When her job is done, the woman places her hand on the side of her hip and lets out a sigh of relief.

When she heard footsteps, the woman turns to the entrance and sees Yukari and Itou walking down the pavement. She smiles as she instantly recognized the former. The two adults stood in front of the Torii gate and bow down to it before entering the premises of the shrine. The red-haired woman approaches them and the three bow to each other.

"Welcome to the Miyamizu Shrine, Yukari-chan!" The woman greeted.

"Nice to see you again, Kasumi-chan." Yukari smiled at the red-haired woman as they all stood up.

Kasumi chuckled at her before turning to Itou. "I see you brought a guest. Who is he?"

"Kasumi, this is Souichirou Itou." Yukari explained, introducing Itou to the shrine maiden. She turns to Itou and said to him, "Itou, this is Kasumi Kinomoto, a maiden of the Miyamizu Shrine."

"Nice to meet you, Itou-san." Kasumi greeted the man as she extends her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Kinomoto." Itou said, grabbing Kasumi's hand and shaking it. Just then, the doorway to the shrine's main building opened. Yukari and Itou look up to see an old woman, dressed in a dark green kimono, stepping out of the building and walks over to them and Kasumi.

"Miyamizu-sama." Kasumi and Yukari both greeted the elderly woman as they bow down to her.

"At ease." The old woman said to them cordially. When the two women stood up, they see the elder Miyamizu now standing in front of them. "It's good to see you here again, Yukari Yukino."

"Nice to see you again too, Hitoha Miyamizu." Yukari said. "My mother gives you her regards."

"Thank your mother for me." Hitoha said to her. "How is she by the way?"

"She is perfectly fine and healthy." Yukari replied. "How are you and your granddaughters?"

"We are all doing fine as well." Hitoha replied. "As you can see, I'm still as fit as an ox despite my age. Yotsuha is doing well with her studies and preparing for her senior year, while Mitsuha is having a wonderful relationship with her boyfriend."

"Mitsuha found a boyfriend? That's wonderful!" Yukari said in delight. "I hope her boyfriend will bring her lots of happiness, as I do not wish to see my former student continue to live in despondency since the incident."

"I hope so too." Hitoha nodded. She turns to Itou and gave him a warm smile. "And who is this man you have brought to the shrine?"

"Miyamizu-sama, this is Souichirou Itou, a former colleague of mine." Yukari said, gesturing Hitoha to Itou.

"Good morning, Miyamizu-sama." Itou said as he bows to the elderly woman.

"A pleasure to meet you, Itou-san." Hitoha said, bowing her head back to him.

"Miyamizu-sama, Itou here had been through a lot of pain and trouble over the last two months." Yukari explained.

"Aye." Itou said with a disheartened tone. "Let's just say that…because I've made some wrong choices, I allowed my life to turn for the worse."

Hitoha nods her head and adjusts her glasses. "Please come in and tell me all about it."

* * *

Upon entering the shrine, Kasumi heads to the kitchen to prepare tea for everyone while Hitoha grabs four zabutons and place them on the floor. After kneeling down on one of them, Hitoha gestures Yukari and Itou to kneel down on the two cushions in front of her.

As Yukari and Itou kneel down before the elder Miyamizu, Kasumi returns to the area while carrying a tray that consists of a kettle and four small empty cups. She carefully kneels down on the zabuton besides Hitoha and places the tray down the floor. Kasumi pours the tea into the cups and passes each of them to Hitoha, Yukari and Itou. After pouring tea into her cup, Kasumi places the kettle down and the four drank together.

"Tell me, Itou. What have you done that led to the unfortunate events you experienced during the last two months?" Hitoha asked after placing their cups down on the floor.

Itou places his hands on his thighs and grimly explained, "Seven weeks ago, I divorced from my wife after realizing our child wasn't of my blood. She had fallen in love with another man behind my back because she felt that I've stopped caring for her." Itou paused momentarily, trying to maintain his composure before continuing. "She was right. Even after marrying the woman I loved, I never settled down. I remain devoted to my work, never caring about the people around me. Not my colleagues or my wife. I only think for myself. Even during my previous job as a teacher, I never helped anyone. It wasn't always like that though. When I started my teaching career back in Shinjuku High, I was helpful and friendly towards my students. I thought being kind would help encourage them to become better adults. But one day, when a student asked me for help to deal with a bully, I did so by reprimanding the one who bullied him. Then the next day, I learnt that the bully injured my student outside of school afterwards, and he was hospitalized. That is when my teaching philosophy made a complete U-turn. I became stern and unforgiving afterwards, believing that the only way people can become better is to experience hardships. I never helped anyone again after that. I stopped caring about my students, and even my co-workers."

Yukari frowns as she stares silently at Itou while she had been listening to him attentively.

Itou looks back at Hitoha and continued, "I even stopped being a teacher and marry the woman I loved. I truly have feelings for her…and yet, I ended up doing what I'm only good at since that day, not caring about anyone." Itou lowers his head in remorse. "And that was what led to our divorce, and it was all my fault."

"Apathy is harmful to all of us. We would stop caring for others so much, to the point that we eventually forget the meaning of love. Deny the people around you, and you will eventually deny everything, even the people you loved." Hitoha said to Itou solemnly.

"Miyamizu-sama, I have no idea how I can move forward from here. I lost every connection with every person I've ever met in my life. I'm all alone now." Itou said somberly.

"If you think you have lost your way, just find a new path to walk on." Kasumi said to Itou with a cheerful smile. Itou and Yukari turned to the red-haired woman as she continued, "I know how it feels like, believing you have lost everything, for I too have made a lot of messed-up decisions in my life. But then I realized that you can't feel tainted by your past mistakes forever. If you do, you'll never find peace and happiness again. We all lost something in our lives. But when we do, we just need to find something new to replace it."

"Exactly." Hitoha nods her head in agreement. "You must never be afraid to start all over. It may take some time to find your purpose to live again, but it is there somewhere down the road." Hitoha turns to Yukari with a wan smile. "Tell us Yukari. How did you find a new path to walk on after losing your job at Shinjuku High?"

"After leaving Tokyo, I try to forget about what happened in the past by taking a break from teaching. I found a new job and made some new friends. With my new friends, I travelled to many countries, seeing places that I've never been to before or never realize that they exist until now. The travels made me realize that I was so depressed over what happened to me in Tokyo, that I completely forgotten how big the world really is outside of the city. And through my friendship with my new friends, I also realized that I've forgotten how kind and strong people can really be. And it is because of them, that I have found the will to live again and restart my career as a teacher." Yukari explained. Itou stared at Yukari as he contemplates over what she had said.

"Nothing is impossible to accomplish, Itou." Hitoha said, causing Itou to look back at the elderly woman. "All of us have endured sufferings in our lives, and we are able to get through them because we always eventually find our way to move forward again."

For a few moments, as Hitoha and Kasumi smiled at him, Itou wordlessly stares back at them, reflecting on what he had heard from them and Yukari. He agreed with everyone present in the room. Everybody has experienced hardships in their lives as not everything will go the way they hoped for. Sometimes, it happens because it is their own fault, and sometimes, it is just something that they could not foresee. But no matter how bad life can be, they should remain positive and find a new way to keep moving forward.

Looking back now, Itou realized that he actually did the right thing to reprimand the bully, and the student's injury was never his fault as it was something that was out of his control. But instead, he chose to take it personally and ended up making the wrong decisions from there which greatly affected his livelihood in the long run. But if he had learned anything from Yukari and the Miyamizu Shrine, people will always have the option to start a new chapter in their lives after a bad situation has passed. And now that Itou had learnt from his mistakes, he is going to redeem himself by making the right decisions from now on.

Itou turns to Yukari and gave a solemn nod to her. In response, Yukari smiled back at him and nods her head.

* * *

After their visit to the Miyamizu Shrine, Yukari and Itou walked through the shopping districts of Ikebukuro while making their way back to the train station. They spent their journey conversing and sharing stories of what happened to them during the eight years since they last saw each other. When they arrived at the train station, they pass through the gantries and made their way up to the platforms.

"My hotel is in Itabashi, which means we'll be taking different trains from here." Itou said to Yukari. "And I guess this is goodbye as well."

"What will you do now?" Yukari inquired.

Itou stuffs his hands into his pockets and replied, "I will return to Sapporo and continue my job as a real estate agent. And I'll start making up for my mistakes by showing care to the people around me."

"That's a good idea. And I'm positive that somewhere down the road, you will find love and happiness again as your reward." Yukari said.

Itou was caught off-guard when Yukari suddenly grabs the zip of his jacket and pulls it up to his neck, causing him to lift his head up.

"So keep your head up," Yukari gave an encouraging smile to Itou as she looks up at him. "And never look back."

As Yukari releases her hand from his zip, a warm smile slowly plasters itself across Itou's face. He bows his head and said to her with gratitude, "Arigatou."

"You're welcome." Yukari said, bowing her head back.

"And Yukino," Itou said as he looks back at her. "I'm sure whoever you have fallen in love with, he will always make you happy."

Yukari's cheeks blushed as she stares at Itou in surprise. When she regains her senses a few moments later, a tender smile takes form on Yukari's face and she bows her head to Itou again.

"Arigatou, Itou." She replied.

Just as they finish their conversation, the train arrived. When the doors open, Itou turns around and steps into the crowded train that will take him back to his hotel. After placing himself in the middle of the car, he grabs the handle and turns back to Yukari. The two adults wave goodbye to each other before the doors close. Yukari stands where she is and silently watches the train depart from the station.

After Yukari disappeared from his sights, Itou turns away from the window and lets out a heavy sigh.

' _You really have outgrown me, Yukino-san.'_ Itou thought. He closes his eyelids and his lips curved into a wan smile. _'Thank you for everything.'_

* * *

Yukari sat down on an empty seat after entering the train that will take her to Shinjuku. As her train began to depart from Ikebukuro Station, Yukari stares into space as she reminisces what had happened today with a blissful smile on her face.

Taiga was right. Being able to communicate with Itou again has helped close the book on them on a positive note. Now, Yukari is truly free from her past. And that wasn't all. Itou is correct about _him_ as well.

' _You are right, Itou.'_ She thought blissfully as she lowers her head and closes her eyelids. _'Akizuki-kun will always make me happy. And that is why…I am still waiting for his return.'_

* * *

As Takao Akizuki stands in the middle of a hallway inside the University of Florence, he looks through the large glass windows and up at the morning sky, wondering what Yukari is doing right now.

After what seem like a long period of silence though, Takao's lips curved into a smile. He turns away from the windows, closes his eyelids and murmurs to himself, "Just wait a little longer, Yukino-san. And I will finally fulfill my promise."

When he opens his eyes and lifts his head back up, he sees three of his classmates, smiling and waving their hands to him from a distance. Takao smiled back at them before he clings onto the books in his arm and walks over to his classmates, ready to start the first day of a new school year.

 _The End_


End file.
